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SERMONS 



ON THE 



LORD'S PRAYER. 

TO WHICH ARE ADDED, 

THKEE SERMONS ON OTHER SUBJECTS. 
BY HENRY A; WORCESTER. 




PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED UXDER THE DIRECTION OF THE 

NEW CHURCH PRINTING FUND. 

FOR SALE AT THE 

NEW CHURCH BOOKSTORE, NO. 7 SOUTH SIXTH STREET. 

1850. 






l87 




PREFACE. 



Several members of the New Church have often expressed a 
strong desire for more books of an introductory and popular charac- 
ter—books in which the doctrines of the Church should be presented 
in a plain and practical manner, but, as far as possible, divested of 
the peculiarities of style and language in the original works of 
Swedenborg. Influenced by this desire, and by a wish to do some- 
thing towards supplying this obvious want in the Church, I now 
offer to them and to the public, this little volume of Sermons on the 
Lord's Prayer, They were originally written about three years since, 
for a mixed, miscellaneous audience. And while it was hoped they 
would not be unacceptable to the members of the New Church, they 
were intended to be so plain as to be understood by those not ac- 
quainted with the doctrines of that Church. This is mentioned not 
as an apology for their imperfections, but as the reason why they 
appear in a style more loose and popular than would be suited to an 
exclusively New Church congregation ; though, perhaps, better 
adapted to the object for which they are now published. 

It was not my design to give simply a concise explanation of the 
language of the Lord's Prayer; but taking the several petitions in 
connexion, to give, in a popular form, such a systematic course of 
doctrinal, as well as practical instruction, as was suggested by the 
order of the several petitions, in a connected series. 

To avoid the appearance of too much assumption, or of any mis- 
apprehension, it may be proper to remark, that the truth of the doc- 
trines of the New Church is here taken for granted. My object has 
not been to engage in argument, to prove their truth, but simply to 
illustrate, and set them plainly before the mind of the" reader, and 
there leave them. 

The religious faith of each one depends so entirely on the state 
of his affections, that argument or controversy respecting it is seldom, 
if ever of any use. Principle, therefore, as well as charity, should 
lead us to speak with forbearance of the sentiments of others. I have, 
however, in some instances spoken freely of certain doctrines re- 
ceived by others, and attempted to give a philosophical explanation 
of their origin ; but I trust the manner will not be regarded as un- 
charitable if the reasoning cannot be admitted as conclusive. 

To those unacquainted with the doctrines of the New Church, it 

(iii) 



IV PREFACE. 

is unavoidable that some things should appear obscure. Subjects and 
points of doctrine have sometimes been alluded to, which, to he fully- 
understood, would require to be further explained. Instead of in- 
creasing* the size of the volume, however, by inserting the explana- 
tory notes and illustrations on such parts, I shall refer the reader to 
the standard works of the Church — the waitings of Swedenborg, 
where he will find his inquiries more satisfactorily answered. 

To the judicious critic, I would not offer indifference or insensi- 
bility to the charms of rhetoric, or to the graces of style, as an excuse 
for any imperfections in the composition of these sermons. But in 
a work on religious subjects, designed for general reading, plainness 
and simplicity, are never to be sacrificed to elegance and refinement. 
And, it is comparatively of little importance, whether the imagina- 
tion be amused, or the taste gratified by the style, provided the un- 
derstanding be enlightened, and the religious affections awakened 
and refreshed by a clear and forcible presentment of the truth. 

This little volume is now dismissed with the hope, that it may 
not only be found acceptable to the members of the Church, but that 
it may also fall into the hands of those unacquainted with its doc- 
trines, to whom it may prove a medium of some light on the most 
important subjects of human knowledge. They are but little streams 
from a great fountain ; but should they, for a moment, allay the thirst 
of any wandering pilgrim, and, by the direction of their course, point 
out to him more plainly the way to Zion — to the Great Fountain of 
living waters, they will not have been written in vain. 

Bath, September, 1837. 



CONTENTS. 



SERMON I. 

ON THE TRUE OBJECT OF WORSHIP. 

Matthew vi. 9. 

Our Father who art in the heavens, . • . . .9 

SERMON II. 

ON THE NATURE OF WORSHIP. 

Matthew vi. 9. 

Hallowed be thy Name. ••••••• 28 

SERMON III. 

ON OBEDIENCE TO TRUTH— OR ON SPIRITUAL 
REGENERATION. 

Matthew vi. 10. 

Thy kingdom come. .•••.... 42 

SERMON IV. 

ON OBEDIENCE FROM LOVE TO THE LORD— OR ON 
THE REGENERATION OF THE WILL. 

Matthew vi. 10. 

Thy will be done, as in heaven so upon the earth. . $ .55 

1* 



VI CONTENTS. 

SERMON V. 
ON DEPENDENCE. 
Matthew vi. 11. 
Give us this day our daily bread. • 



SERMON VI. 

ON THE NATURE AND PRINCIPLES OF FORGIVENESS. 

Matthew vi. 12. 

Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. • • . 84 

SERMON VII. 

ON TEMPTATIONS. 

Matthew vi. 13. 

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. • • 97 

SERMON VIII. 

ON ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 

Matthew vi. 13. 

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for 

ever, amen. 113 

SERMON IX. 
ON THE EFFICACY, DUTY, AND FORMS OF PRAYER. 

Matthew, vi. 9 — 13. 
After this manner, therefore, pray ye, &c. • . ' . . 124 



CONTENTS. VJ1 

SERMON I. 

ON CHRISTIAN LIFE. 

Matthew xix. 17. 

If thou would enter into life, keep the commandments. . . 139 

SERMON II. 

ON SELF DENIAL. 

Matthew xvi. 24, 25. 

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after 
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow 
me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it ; and who- 
soever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. • . 152 

SERMON III. 

ON THE SPIRIT AND PRINCIPLES OF ASSOCIATION 
IN THE NEW CHURCH. 

John xvii. 12 — 23. 

That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in 
thee, that they may also be one in us ; that the world may 
believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou 
hast given me, I have given them ; that they may be one, 
even as we are one ; I in them, and thou in me, that they may 
be made perfect in one ; and that the world may know that 
thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. 168 



f>nmon J, 

Matthew vL 9. 
'« Our Father who art in the heavens." 

A belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, who 
is infinitely above us, is the foundation of all religious 
knowledge and worship. And that sense of our rela- 
tion to bar.., which is implied in the words, that he is 
" our Father/' is the foundation of all prayer. The 
distinct acknowledgment, therefore, that God is " our 
Father/' and that we, as children, are dependent on 
him, is made the beginning of that form of prayer which 
was given by the Lord to his disciples. 

Words are used only as the signs of ideas ; and that 
our prayers may not be a mere formal repetition of 
words, we should endeavour to form distinct ideas of 
what they are intended to signify ; to rise from sound 
to things — from words to realities. 

The first subject, therefore, that claims our attention 
when we attempt to pray, is that of endeavouring to 
form a true idea of the great Object of worship — of the 
Being whom we address — when we repeat the words 
" our Father who art in the heavens." The importance 
of doing this will be at once seen, if we reflect that the 
sincerity and the character of our prayers will always 
be relative to the idea which we do actually form of 

(9) 



10 SERMONS ON THE 

the Being addressed, and to the sincerity of our faith 
in him. 

The existence of a Supreme Being on whom man is 
dependent, has ever been taught in all systems of reli- 
gion ; among the ancient heathens and modern pagans, 
as well as among Jews and Christians. And in the 
several different forms of religion, he is represented and 
worshiped under the same endearing appellation of 
"our Father. " In what then consists the superiority 
of the Christian faith ? Not in teaching the existence 
of a "universal Father," on whom we are dependent; 
but in revealing more distinctly his true character and 
attributes — in unfolding more definitely to the mind a 
distinct idea which we should form of him, and under 
which we should approach and worship him. 

Before proceeding to explain the several petitions 
included in the Lord's prayer, we shall therefore de- 
vote this discourse to giving a plain exposition of the 
doctrine of the Christian faith on this subject, as taught 
in the New Jerusalem Church. The order of treating 
the subject will lead us to speak, 

First — Of the idea u?ider which God is univer- 
sally worshiped, in all forms of religion ; and to ex- 
plain the manner in which that idea of him is formed. 

We read in the book of Genesis, " So God created 
man in his own image, in the image of God created he 
him" The doctrine, therefore, that God is Man, and 
that men are only created images of God the Creator, 
is not a doctrine peculiar to the New Jerusalem Church, 
but it is a doctrine here explicitly taught in the Sacred 
Scriptures ; and however these words may be explained, 
the doctrine itself, in some form, must be acknowledged 



LORD S PRAYER. 11 

by all who do not reject their authority. Instead of 
being a new doctrine that God is Man, and that he is to 
be approached and worshiped under this idea, it has 
been taught in the various systems of religion in all 
ages, and has continued to be taught to the present 
time. The ancient heathen, as the Greeks and the 
Romans, worshiped God under the idea of man. The 
same is now true of the idolatrous nations of the 
east. Their error consists, not in ascribing humanity 
to the Godhead, but in ascribing to him the false attri- 
butes of humanity as existing in their own fallen state. 
The adoration paid by the heathen to statues or to im- 
ages, is paid to them not as being themselves divine, 
but simply as being representatives of their mental 
conceptions of the deity whom they worship. Indeed, 
there is a spiritual influx into the minds of men, that 
God is Man : and the idea is never effaced, except by 
the false reasonings of a philosophy based on the testi- 
mony of the natural senses ; and from the minds of the 
simple in faith it can never be taken away. This doc- 
trine, it is true, is a doctrine of revelation. It was 
first revealed from heaven ; and in various ways, and in 
different froms and degrees of truth, it has been transmit- 
ted from generation to generation, since the creation of 
man. The child first receives the idea even while at its 
mother's breast. By using the image of its natural pa- 
rent, she tries to impress on the infant mind the first idea 
of God as his heavenly Father. The idea finds a ready 
entrance. Like a seed congenial to the soil, it remains 
there — grows and expands till its child arrives at the age 
of manhood. And when he arrives at maturity and free- 
dom, and his rational mind is developed, and he begins 



12 SERMONS ON THE 

to reflect on what he has been taught to believe in 
childhood and youth, how does this reason then approve 
of this doctrine ? His reason then teaches him that his 
own mind is the only medium by which he can form 
any rational idea of God and his attributes — that it is 
only by the medium of what there is of God in himself, 
that he can think or form an idea of God. 

He has been taught in childhood that God is a Spirit, 
an infinite mind. But what idea does he now form of 
spirit or of mind ? He reflects, and he sees that his 
own spirit, or that he himself, must be the medium of 
forming the idea of God, as a Spirit. He has been 
taught also that God is infinite in benevolence, in wis- 
dom, and in power, and that these are his attributes. 
But how does he form an idea of the nature of these 
attributes ? Only by reflecting on the attributes of his 
own mind, and making these same attributes, which 
exist there in a finite degree, the medium of forming 
his idea of them as existing in the Divine Mind. How, 
for instance, docs he form an idea of the attribute of 
Divine Benevolence ? Those affections in his own mind 
which prompt him to act without regard to self, but for 
the good of others, he calls benevolent affections, and 
by being conscious of such affections in himself, he 
forms an idea of the attribute of benevolence. And it 
is by supposing these affections to be expanded and 
infinitely enlarged, that he forms the most exalted idea 
that he can form of Divine Benevolence. 

In the same manner he forms his idea of the attribute 
of Divine Wisdom. The perceptions of truth in his 
own understanding are the medium of forming his idea 
of the wisdom of God. By supposing the capacity of 



LORD S PRAYER. 13 

his own understanding enlarged, and the limits of his 
knowledge extended beyond his powers of conception, 
he forms the only idea he can form of the attribute of 
Divine Wisdom. 

So also he forms his idea of the power of God. It 
is the attribute of power in his own mind that gives 
him the only true idea of the attribute of power. He 
is prompted by his affections to act ; his understanding 
directs and points out the mode of action, and he then 
wills to act, and thus he learns that he has poiver to act. 
And this gives him the only true idea of the attribute 
of power. Now it is by supposing this idea of finite 
power enlarged to infinity, or that God in the same 
manner has ability to do whatever his benevolence shall 
prompt and his wisdom approve, that he forms his idea 
of Divine Power. 

Thus the benevolence, the wisdom, and the power, 
existing in a finite degree in himself, are the only means 
of forming any rational idea of these attributes of God. 
The attributes of the mind of man, the created image 
of God, are then the medium of forming his idea of the 
attributes of God. 

We are next to consider whether those attributes 
are to be conceived of, as mere mental abstractions, or 
as the attributes of a Being who should be approached 
and worshiped as existing in form. 

We form to ourselves no idea of human benevolence, 
wisdom, and power, except as attributes of a being 
who loves, is wise, and powerful, — except as attributes 
existing in, and manifested through a being in the hu- 
man form as the most perfect medium of their manifes- 
tation. So also, it is believed, we can form no definite 

2 



14 SERMONS ON THE 

idea of these attributes of the Divine Mind, except they 
be thought of as existing in a Being who is revealed to 
us and to be conceived of as existing in form. Here 
it may be objected, I am aware, that these are only the 
attributes of the spirit of man, and that the spirit has 
no form. We answer, that this is assuming that which 
never can be proved ; and it is assuming it too, not only in 
opposition to what has been the general belief of man- 
kind in all past ages, but also in opposition to the testi- 
mony of revelation. Whenever the state of man after 
death is alluded to by the heathen writers, both ancient 
and modern, it is always acknowledged or implied that 
he exists in form as man in the spiritual world, and 
with corresponding objects of a spiritual nature around 
him. Spirits and angels also are always thought of and 
spoken of as existing in the human form. As such 
they are always spoken of when mentioned in the Scrip- 
tures. As examples we need only to allude to the ap- 
pearance of the angels to Abraham, Manoah, Balaam, 
and the prophets, as recorded in the Old Testament ; 
and to Zachariah, to the women at the sepulchre at the 
resurrection, to Peter in prison, and to John, in the 
New Testament. Always are they spoken of as ex- 
isting in the human form. True, this form cannot be 
that of material substance ; it is not such as can be seen 
or manifested to the material organs of sense. And it 
has been only by the opening of the spiritual sight of 
men, that they have ever been seen. If we attempt 
to think of a departed spirit as existing without form, 
it is the same to the mind as its annihilation. So of 
the attributes of God : attempt to think of them as mere 
mental abstractions, not as the attributes of a Being 



lord's prayer. 15 

of personal existence, and manifested in form, and the 
mind sinks at once into naturalism and atheism. At- 
tempt to approach and worship God as a being with- 
out form, as the great infinite Spirit, but to be ap- 
proached without form, or appearance of manifestation 
and the mind is lost, the existence of God is as if blotted 
out and annihilated. At best, it can be only blind wor- 
ship, paid to an unknown God. 

God, we are taught, was as truly Man before the in- 
carnation as since. The Word which was made Flesh 
and dwelt among us, was in the beginning with God, 
and was God. It may, perhaps, assist in giving more 
definiteness to our idea of this subject, and also of the 
nature of the trinity ', if we should here endeavour to il- 
lustrate the distinction between the Divine Essence, and 
the Divine Existence — the proceeding Word or form 
of its manifestation. It is like the distinction between 
the essence of an object in nature, and its form ; the es- 
sence is not the form, nor the form the essence, yet the 
essence exists only in form. Again, it is like the dis- 
tinction between the will and the understanding of the 
same mind ; the affections of the will are seen manifested 
only by the form which they assume in the thoughts 
of the understanding, which are then expressed in ulti- 
mate form by words and acts. Now when the terms 
Father and Son are applied to God, that which is called 
the Father is the Divine Essence, or the attribute of 
love. The Son, or the Word, is the Divine Truth, or 
that essence manifested inform. Or, the Father is as 
the will of man [the sum of all the affections], and the 
Son is as the understanding, or the proceeding thoughts 
of those affections manifested. Or, by an illustration 



16 SERMONS ON THE 

still plainer, the sun and its proceeding light are not the 
same, yet inseparably united. The light is that which, 
existing in the beginning with the sun, alone gives it 
form and manifestation to the sight, — it is of the sun, 
and, because it is all that we see of the sun, it is said to 
be the sun. Now what is understood by the Divine 
Humanity, is the manifestation of God [of the Divine 
Essence] in form. Considered as to his Essential Di- 
vinity, or Divine Love, God has no form ; and we can 
no more conceive an idea of him, than we can form 
an idea of the benevolence of man without seeing it 
manifested by the medium of his understanding, 
through the words and actions of his body. 

Before the incarnation, the Divine Benevolence was 
the same as afterwards ; the same divine Word existed, 
was in the world, and was the light of the world. The 
Word was then the divine humanity, though not yet 
brought forth to view and manifested in the ultimate 
natural degree. God was then approached and worship- 
ed under the idea of man ; but man himself, the created 
image of God, was the only form in nature of con- 
veying this idea of the divine essence. God then, we 
are taught, existed in form, but that form was above 
the heavens — above man's powers of conception. Yet 
the truth then flowed into his mind by an internal way, 
that God was Man ; and under this idea he was wor- 
shiped, though no man had seen God at any time. 
And it was not till mankind had sunk down into a 
mere natural and sensual state, and had become idola- 
trous in their character, so that this light shined in 
darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not, that 
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, that we 



lord's prayer. 17 

might behold its glory, softened and accommodated to 
our darkened understanding, by the medium of the hu- 
manity assumed in the natural degree of life. This 
leads us to explain, 

Secondly — In what sense the Lord Jesus Christ is 
the manifestation of God the Father. * 

? No man hath seen God at any time, but the Son 
who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath manifested 
him." It was not because mankind were ignorant of 
the revealed truth that God is Man, that he assumed a 
natural humanity on earth, as manifested in which he 
is called Jesus Christ ; but it was because " when they 
knew God, they glorified him not as God," but ascrib- 
ed to him the character and the attributes of their own 
fallen state. And it was that he might restore to man 
a knowledge of his true character, and manifest and 
bring down into appreciable forms, his true attributes, 
in a manner best suited to their fallen state, that he 
assumed their nature as a medium of manifesting him- 
self to them — of gradually unfolding, as they became 
prepared to receive, the spirituality of his character and 
attributes. This humanity was a mediator or a medi- 
um between God and the fallen state of mankind — one 
suited to bring forth and manifest the character of God 
in a manner best accommodated to their state of 
apprehension. 

" No man," says the Lord, "can come to the Father 
but through me." By these words we are taught that 
no man, in his lost, fallen state, can form a just idea of 
God the Father — of his true character and attributes, 
except as manifested in the assumed humanity, Jesus 
Christ. Such then is the reason why he assumed our 

2* 



18 SERMONS ON THE 

nature, which was the medium of his manifestation, 
and as seen manifested in which, he is called Immanuel 
[or God with us.] 

To the inquiry, then, In what sense are the Father 
and the Son united in one person ? we reply, that they 
are one in the same sense that essence and the form in 
which the essence exists and is manifested to our senses, 
are one ; or in the sense that the thoughts of the under- 
standing which manifest the affections of the will, are 
one with the affections themselves ; or that the pro- 
ceeding light of the sun, which is all that is seen of the 
sun, is one with the sun itself. 

It may be here objected, that, when in the world, 
the Lord Jesus Christ prayed to the Father as to an- 
other person — spoke of him as absent—and acknow- 
ledged the Father as greater than himself. We an- 
swer, by way of explanation, that, in assuming our 
nature as the medium of manifesting himself to man- 
kind, God the Father did not at first assume it in a state 
of divine perfection, but he assumed it with all its inhe- 
rent imperfections, infirmities, and hereditary propensi- 
ties to evil. And in order that he might be able to 
sympathize with man in all his states of temptation, he 
assumed human nature according to the laws of that 
order, which he had established. He was born, as to 
his human nature, an infant, was taught scientifically 
during infancy and childhood, passed through all the 
successive states of human life, from infancy to man- 
hood, and as to the human nature assumed he grew in 
wisdom as he grew in stature. In him, as was said, 
there were by inheritance, those same propensities and 
tendencies to all kinds of evil with which man is born. 



lord's prayer. ]9 

And the work of his glorification consisted in overcom 
ing and in putting them off; and instead of the de 
praved human nature which he assumed from the mo 
ther, in bringing forth and manifesting the order of 
Divine Truth itself, in the natural degree of life — in 
causing the Divine Word to become flesh and dwell 
among us that we might behold its glory. And in 
order that this might be accomplished in him, he passed 
through states of temptation, which were combats be- 
tween the inherent evils in the nature he assumed, and 
the Divine Truth to which they were opposed ; but 
which was to be obeyed and manifested by him, so as 
to appear in its true ultimate or outward form. 

It was by degrees that this work was accomplished, 
and that the Divine Truth was brought out into the 
ultimates, — outward forms, of the nature he assumed, 
and so maifested in its own true form. He was not, 
therefore, as to his human nature, one with the Father 
until it was glorified, or until he had overcome the 
world — all the evil to which the nature he assumed 
was subject. But while the work of his glorification 
was being effected in him, and while he was being 
tempted, and giving up his own hereditary evils ; and, 
by yielding to the Divine Truth in all things, was 
receiving and manifesting the Divine Word in himself, 
as in its true outward form, he felt and acknowledged 
his dependence on the Father, his inferiority, and his 
separation from him. 

Considered with reference to his Divine nature alone, 
he could feel no dependence, he could not be tempted 
of evil, nor could he increase in wisdom. But this is 
said of that human nature which was becoming united 



20 SERMONS ON THE 

to the Divine; of that, which was made merely the 
medium of bringing forth and manifesting the Divine 
Word to the world of mankind. 

As the work of his glorification was successively 
accomplished, and as he overcame all evil, and was 
removed from the power of temptation, he is revealed 
and then becoming conscious of his oneness with the 
Father, that it was the Father in him that did the 
works, and that all power was given to him. In the first 
state, that of his humiliation, he feels his dependence, and 
prays to the Father as to another person ; with refer- 
ence to the other, that of his glorification, he says, " all 
that the Father hath is mine ;" again, " as the Father 
hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son" [the 
assumed humanity] " to have life in himself," that all 
men may honour the Son even as they honour the 
Father." It was with reference to this state, when he 
should have overcome all evil in the assumed humani- 
ty, and brought forth the order of Divine Truth in the 
natural degree, in its fulness and power, so that the 
"Word would be made flesh, that he says, " I and the 
Father are one." "He that seeth me seeth the Fa- 
ther." " If ye had known me, ye should have known 
my Father also, and from henceforth ye know him> 
and have seen him." The Lord Jesus Christ there- 
fore is the Father manifested to men — in him the ful- 
ness of the Godhead dwelt bodily ', so that he is the 
Immanuel — our Father who art in the heavens, brought 
forth and revealed. In him God is manifested not 
merely in the character of our Creator, but as our Re- 
deemer and Saviour; — as our Father having come 
down to our lost and depraved state, in order to redeem 



lord's prayer. 21 

and save us from its depravity. It was for this end that 
he provided himself a medium suited to his manifesta- 
tion to our condition ; one by which he could take our 
infirmities and bear our diseases, that he might remove 
them from us. And in order that he might be able to 
succour those that are tempted, he himself took upon 
him our nature, that he might be exposed to temptation, 
so as to be "able to sympathize with the feelings of our 
infirmities," and when in temptation impart strength to 
our weakness, and provide the way of escape. Thus 
presenting to mankind, in a manner accommodated to 
their fallen state, the True Object of their worship, — 
God as Man ; — revealed as having passed through all 
the various states of temptation from evil through which 
they are required to pass, — as having become in all 
things a pattern for them to follow during the whole 
work of their regeneration,— as " the captain of their 
salvation, made perfect through suffering, in order to 
bring them back, restored to the order of heavenly life. 

" No man can come to the Father," says the Lord, 
"but through me." This leads us to explain, 

Thirdly — The manner in ivhich man receives the 
highest possible idea of God — the Father, through the 
Son — the assumed humanity, as the medium of form- 
ing this idea. 

The Scriptures, in their literal sense, are composed 
of words as signs of natural ideas and natural relations; 
and to man in a merely natural state they will be un- 
derstood only as to their literal sense, or at best as mere 
figurative language. From the influence of education, 
he may reverence and respect them as inspired and 
holy. But it is not till the work of his regeneration has 



22 SERMONS ON THE 

commenced, and he is becoming spiritual, that their 
spiritual sense is understood, and that they are to him 
words of " spirit and life." 

It is the same with his perceptions of the true charac- 
ter of the Lord Jesus Christ. From the influence of 
education and authority, he may profess to acknowledge 
and worship the Lord as divine ; but at first his true 
character cannot be rightly understood and received. 
To the mind of a child, the Lord can appear in no 
other character than that of a good man. And to him, 
when arrived at manhood, if he remains in a merely 
natural state, the Lord can appear no higher than as a 
good man, or than as one sent from God. He can at 
first be received by man while in a natural state, only 
as a man sent of God to speak the words of God. And 
this is all the acknowledgment that is at first required: 
it is all that the child, or the merely natural man, can at 
first freely and rationally give to him. True, man may 
be taught something above this ; — he may profess to be- 
lieve and to acknowledge it, and perhaps at times, he 
may be able to perceive, rationally, something of its 
truth, yet it must be on the authority of others that all 
above this is at first received by him. The mere ac- 
knowledgment, therefore, that he is a teacher from 
God, is all that is at first required of man. 

If, while man remains in the merely natural state, he 
attempts at once to receive him in a higher relation, or 
as divine and as one with the Father, his mind becomes 
distracted upon the subject, and the idea of unity in 
the Godhead is lost. And we regard the irrational 
doctrine of a trinity of persons in the Godhead only as 
the necessary consequence of attempting to receive, 



lord's prayer. ,23 

rationally, while in a merely natural state of mind, a 
doctrine which is addressed to a spiritual state of mind, 
and which cannot be rationally understood, until the 
work of regeneration is begun, and the spiritual under- 
standing is being opened by a life of obedience to the 
truth. The literal sense of the Scriptures, as under- 
stood by the natural man, cannot be made to harmon- 
ize with the doctrine of the divinity of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and with the unity of the Godhead ; but the doc- 
trine of a trinity of persons is the natural offspring of 
attempting to confirm by their authority, as literally 
understood, a doctrine which is addressed to a spiritual 
state of mind, and which is rationally confirmed by the 
Scriptures only in their spiritual sense. Consequently, 
while the Scriptures are so received and understood, 
there must be darkness and confusion on this most fun- 
damental of all subjects in the Christian faith. 

And yet, "no man can come to the Father," says 
the Lord, "but through me." In what way, then, is 
the Son the medium of coming to the Father? The 
humanity which he assumed was the medium of bring- 
ing forth and of manifesting the Father to view. The 
Word, which was in the beginning with God, which 
ever had been the light of the world, as it proceeded 
from the Father to the human understanding, but 
which, owing to the fallen state of man, was shining in 
darkness, was then made flesh — was then rendered 
manifest through a medium suited to its manifestation to 
the state of a world in darkness. When the human race 
had universally fallen to a state of idolatry, and were 
so immersed in sense that they could not rise to con- 
ceive of the spirituality of God ; in accommodation to 



24 SERMONS ON THE 

their state, God is manifested in a human medium— the 
Son as addressed to their natural senses, — in a medium 
that comes down to their state, but through which, they 
can approach the Father, who is there brought forth to 
view. 

As man is at first unable to form any idea of God as 
existing in the Lord Jesus Christ, he does not begin to 
reveal himself as claiming at first to be so received and 
acknowledged. He comes in his Father's name, and his 
works bear witness of him, — he comes as one " sent of 
God to speak the words of God ; and man is required 
at first to receive him only in this character — as a teacher 
sent from God ; to acknowledge him in that relation, and 
to obey his doctrines. And the consequence of obedience 
is such upon his mind and character, that his under- 
standing is continually opening and preparing to receive 
the Lord in a higher relation. The effect of receiving 
his doctrines and of obeying his precepts, as they are at 
first understood, is such upon his own character, that 
he is, by degrees, prepared to comprehend what at first 
he could not understand ; and to apprehend the prin- 
ciple on which God is accommodating himself to the 
depraved state of mankind. 

If he follows the Lord by denying himself, and by 
becoming his disciple, he is prepared to have expounded 
to him " when alone/' that which at first he could receive 
only in parables. By his own experience he learns that 
His words are spirit and life,— he sees portrayed in the 
language of the Scriptures, the states, operations, and 
changes of his own mind; and thus he learns their spirit- 
ual sense by his own experience of its truth. It is just so 
that he learns the character of the Lord Jesus Christ- — 



lord's prayer. 25 

how God the Father is manifest in the Son. His true 
character is unfolded and manifested to the understand- 
ing, just in the degree that man actually follows him in 
the regeneration of his own life. His character is trans- 
formed from one degree of glory to another, just in the 
degree that man denies himself, takes up his cross, and 
advances in the regeneration. Consequently our per- 
ception of the Lord's true character will always be rela- 
tive to our own state of spiritual life. Argument, con- 
troversy, and speculation, therefore, upon this subject, 
are quite out of place; since his character will always 
have a manifestation according to the state of the mind* 
And it can be rightly understood and received only in 
the degree that we advance in regeneration and learn 
it as the consequence of our own experience. That evi- 
dence of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, there- 
fore, which the merely natural man demands before he 
will believe, can never be granted, since he can have 
a rational understanding of it, only as the consequence 
of his own experience in spiritual life. 

Nevertheless, even to the natural man, the character 
of the Lord will always appear in advance of his own 
state ; — he will at first appear as a perfect man, or as 
a teacher sent of God. If the Lord is not first re- 
ceived and acknowledged in this character and rela- 
tion, man can never afterwards see the evidences of his 
divinity. But if he is so received and acknowledged, 
his character will gradually be unfolded to the mind 
as the consequence of obedience to his doctrines ; as 
man advances in regeneration, he will, by degrees, ap- 
pear as above man — above angels — as the only begot- 
ten Son of God — as the manifestation of the Father. 

3 



26 SERMONS ON THE 

His words will ultimately be understood and received 
in their true spiritual sense, that he and the Father are 
one ; he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. 

It was as truly a part of the work which he came to 
perform, to put off the material nature which he as- 
sumed, as it was to assume it. It is true that he was 
manifested in the flesh, in a material body ; but it is also 
true that, as his glorification was being effected, this 
medium of his manifestation was gradually put off. It 
was assumed as the natural medium of manifesting the 
Father to man in his natural state, and as he is ad- 
vancing in regeneration, of gradually leading him on to 
see and to receive Him in His Glorified Humanity — a 
medium divested of all materiality, and sensibly seen 
only by the spiritual sight. Such was the manifesta- 
tion which he gave of himself when seen by the disci- 
ples after his resurrection. He was not manifested to 
the natural senses of his disciples, but it was to their 
spiritual senses only to which he was visible, which 
were then opened to behold him. It was also this Glo- 
rified Humanity which the three disciples, Peter, James, 
and John, were permitted to behold at the time of his 
transfiguration on the mount, when he was manifested 
and seen as "coming in his kingdom, his face shining 
as the sun, and his raiment as the light." And this is 
the idea which we should endeavour to form of the 
Lord Jesus Christ as the true Object of worship, when 
we bow before him in prayer, and repeat the words 
"our Father who art in the heavens." 

We should not look back and think of him as he 
appeared in the flesh, while in his state of humiliation 
here on the earth ; but in our thoughts we should en- 



lord's prayer. 27 

deavour to rise with him and to conceive of him in that 
state of glory, in which he now exists in the heavens. 
Not, that by being in the heavens he is removed from 
us, as to distance ; for he is omnipresent, and with us 
even here ; and were our spiritual senses opened, as 
were those of the disciples, we might now behold him 
as present with us, in that Glorified Humanity in which 
he is seen manifested to the angels in heaven ; and 
in which he will for ever exist in the spiritual world, 
and be seen manifested as the only Object of worship 
to spirits and angels. 

As he was manifested here in the natural degree, in 
a material body, in accommodation to the fallen and 
sensual state of mankind, so, in accommodation to them 
in the spiritual world, is he also manifested in his 
glorified body, which is correspondingly adapted to the 
spiritual senses of men in the other life, when they be- 
come spirits and angels. This glorified form of his 
appearance to the spiritual senses in the spiritual world, 
is the idea under which he is here to be approached 
and worshiped. And it was to elevate and raise the 
mind to conceive of him, as he is there manifested, 
that he became transfigured before the three disciples 
on the mount — appeared in glory — and showed to them 
the Son of Man [the Divine Humanity] as seen coming 
in his kingdom. 

Such is the idea which we should endeavour to form 
of the Being whom we address in prayer when we re- 
peat the words, Our Father who art in the heavens, 
before we proceed to worship him by saying, " Hal- 
lowed be thy name" 



28 SERMONS ON THE 



Matthew vi. 9. 
"Hallowed be thy name." 

In the preceding discourse on the words " Our Fa 
ther who art in the heavens," our attention was parti 
cularly directed to the True Object of Worship — to the 
idea that we should always endeavour to form of the 
Being to whom we pray, when we repeat the words, 
" Our Father who art in the heavens." The import- 
ance of this subject will be seen, if we reflect that the 
nature of our prayers will always correspond to the idea 
that we do actually form of the Being to whom we pray. 
If we form no idea of his character, our prayers will be 
merely a vain repetition of words. But the sincerity 
and the spirituality of our prayers will always corres- 
pond to the distinctness of our idea of the Being whom 
we address, and to the reality of our faith in him. Hence 
the importance of endeavouring to form a true idea of 
his character, before we proceed to worship him by 
repeating, — "hallowed be thy name." 

Hallowed literally signifies, regarded and treated as 
holy. Holiness, in its most abstract sense, is synony- 
mous with love. The Lord alone in this sense is holy, 
because he only is actuated by perfect love. And man 



lord's prayer. 29 

is really holy only so far as he receives and is actuated 
by the love of God. But what is to be understood 
when we speak of a holy place, as a temple ; a holy 
rite, or ceremony, as baptism and the Lord's supper ; 
or a holy name, as Jehovah or " our Father who art in 
the heavens ?" As mere places, rites, or names, there 
is no holiness in them. But they are to be hallowed, 
or treated as holy, by virtue of what there is of the Lord 
in them — because the Lord in his love has instituted 
and made them the mediums, by which he more espe- 
cially reveals and makes known himself to mankind. 
The holiness of them* consists in what there is in them 
derived from the Lord ; or rather in what they are con- 
stituted the means of making known to us of the Lord. 
Hence, that is to be most hallowed, or to be regarded 
and to be treated as most holy, which is the most per- 
fect medium to us of making known the character and 
the attributes of the Lord, — because that is in the 
highest sense the name of the Lord — the name which 
is to be hallowed. 

And since hallowing, as applied to names and 
things, signifies to regard as holy whatever is the me- 
dium of making known the Lord to man, let us now 
inquire more particularly into the spiritual signification 
of the word na?ne ; and the manner in which the 
name of the Lord is to be "hallowed '." 

The Word name is derived from a Greek word which 
literally signifies what is known. When man first learns 
the character of a person or the quality of a thing, he 
gives to it a name — he associates with the person or 
the thing some word, and when that word is repeated, 
it recalls the idea of the object to which it was applied. 



30 SERMONS ON THE 

The names of persons and things, in the present dis- 
ordered state of the world, are, to a great degree, arbi- 
trary, and as it were, accidental. They seem to have 
no peculiar fitness to recall the objects to which they 
are given. Yet the importance of giving names to 
persons and things, although arbitrary, is obvious ; 
since without names to recall the ideas of the mind, 
and to serve as mediums to express them, we could 
not speak of our knowledge or communicate to another 
our ideas. But when the quality of a thing is known, 
and has been designated by a particular name, this 
name distinguishes it from other things, marks its indi- 
viduality, and recalls it to mind. If no name were 
given to our ideas of things, we could acquire little 
knowledge of them, and communicate none. 

If however the name only of a person or thing be 
learned, it is but a mere sound, and conveys no defi- 
nite idea of the object to which it is applied. On the 
other hand, so far as we have a true idea of a person 
or thing, the name, by which we recall the object to 
which it has been given, does not occupy the attention 
at all. The name becomes as it were transparent ; 
when used, the idea only of the object itself which is 
known comes before the mind, and the name of it no 
more diverts the attention than a perfectly transparent 
glass diverts the sight from an object seen through it. 
The name, then, is the medium by which the object is 
recalled and presented before the eye of the mind, with- 
out diverting the mind from the object itself to the 
medium by which it is recalled. 

In the Most Ancient Church — called Adam, when 
man lived in a more perfect state of order, we are 



LORD S PRAYER. 31 

taught that " the earth was of one language and of one 
speech." Man was then in a state of innocence. His 
affections were pure, benevolent, and fixed upon their 
proper objects. His understanding was rightly direct- 
ed, and always taught him to express truly the affec- 
tions of his will by corresponding thoughts and words. 
He spoke, as it were, nature's own language. He had 
not; then, as now, one thing in the mind and another 
ready on the tongue. He was sincere, and practised 
no deception or hypocrisy. Words were then the true 
expression, the ultimate form, in which the affections 
and thoughts. appeared. As all men were in a similar 
state — all in order — words were not ambiguous, but 
conveyed the same meaning to all. And like the true, 
natural language of passion now, they were understood 
by all. He that taught the beast to express his wants, 
the bird to warble or to chirp its notes of joy or sadness 
amid the branches, left not man— the true image of 
his Creator, and lord of all his works below — desti- 
tute of the power of making known his wants, or of 
truly expressing his ideas. His language and words 
were full of meaning. Like those of the angels they 
were the true, instinctive expressions of what he felt 
and what he saw. His language was perfect, for all 
understood it. His state was one of innocence and 
simplicity, yet that of true wisdom. 

It was man's departure from this state of innocence 
and true wisdom that brought with it the confusion of 
ten thousand tongues, and the jarring discord of so 
many languages. Hence it is that words and names 
are no longer natural, but conventional. One man 
agrees with another on a name to be applied to what 



32 SERMONS ON THE 

is known, and to them only who agree, it becomes the 
medium of recalling the thing to which it is applied. 
And thus all names, both of persons and of things, have 
become arbitrary, capricious, and conventional. The 
name given to a person, has not now, as was the fact 
among men of the Most Ancient Church, any peculiar 
fitness to express the complex idea of the character. 
It is merely an arbitrary sound, by which our idea is 
expressed, and when repeated, it recalls to mind the 
idea formed of the person from all that we know of his 
character. The character of the person — the qualities 
of his mind, must be learned from his words, actions, 
and life ; and from all that we thus know of him, we 
form an idea which is recalled when his name is re- 
peated. Thus the name, though arbitrary and conven- 
tional, becomes by use expressive only of the qualities 
of the person ; because when repeated, it is not thought 
of, but is only a medium by which a general complex 
idea of all that is known of the person comes before the 
mind. If nothing is known of a person but the mere 
name by which he is called, we can form no idea of 
the character ; and the name is a mere sound of the 
voice. But it becomes as alive, just according to the 
extent of our knowledge of the character which it serves 
to recall. 

The character of the person becomes known to us in 
different ways ; — as by his works — the actions and deeds 
of his life ; by what he speaks or writes, that is, by his 
tvords ; and by seeing or hearing described his actual 
appearance in person, and observing his mind as mani- 
fested in his expressions of countenance and gestures. 
All these modes of knowing him, therefore, in the most 



lord's prayer. 33 

abstract or spiritual sense, are his name, because they 
are all means by which the essential qualities of his 
character — his affections, thoughts, and powers, are made 
known to us. And the mere name by which he is 
recalled is nothing, only so far as it serves to recall the 
idea formed from what was before known of him. The 
more perfect and extensive our knowledge of his cha- 
racter, the more distinct and alive will be our idea of 
him when his name is repeated. If an enemy, it 
inspires us with feelings of aversion. If a friend, with 
sentiments of friendship and love. The proper name, 
therefore, of a person serves only to recall what is 
known of him, and it has no importance, only so far as 
it does serve to recall what is known of the character 
of him to whom it is applied. What then are we to 
understand, in the spiritual sense, by the name " Our 
Father" as applied to the Being whom we address in 
prayer ? And how is his name to be hallowed ? 

In one sense the material universe — all outward na- 
ture, is the name of God. It is so, because in that we 
may see manifested his character, and displayed his 
attributes. There we may see unfolded and embodied 
forth, as in living forms, which all may understand, the 
Love, the Wisdom, and the Power of their Divine Cre- 
ator. And so far as they lead us to know Him, his 
works are his name. And when we contemplate his 
works in nature, and discern in them the goodness, the 
wisdom, and the power of their Creator, they become 
the language of God, revealing to us his character ; 
for then, " we look through nature to nature's God." 
"What though no voice or sound is heard, their in- 
struction is gone forth into all the earth, and their words 



34 SERMONS ON THE 

to the ends of the world." And to a rightly-directed 
reason, to a sincere inquirer after truth, the " invisible 
things of God [even his eternal power and divinity] 
become clearly seen, being understood by the things 
which are made." And the natural world becomes to 
the mind his name, so far as we behold in its works 
their Author — see in its forces and living energies his 
Poiver — see displayed in its provisions, its adaptation 
of means to ends, his Wisdom — in its fruitfulness of 
blessing and of happiness, his Love— in its constant and 
all-pervading laws, his Presence, and unchangeable 
Order. And his name, as revealed in his works, is hal- 
lowed 'when they are regarded as the means of leading us 
to Him, their author — when we make bare our minds to 
receive the full impress of what they teach of Him, and 
when we acknowledge Him in them — when we study 
and see the wisdom,, the goodness, the power, displayed 
in his works, and love them because from him. Then 
does the voice of nature harmonize with the devout 
feelings of the heart, in the ascription of praise to Him : 
" Thine this universal frame, thus wondrous fair. Thy- 
self how wondrous then ! unspeakable; whosittest#5oz;e 
these orbs, or dimly seen in these thy lower works ; yet 
these declare thy power and goodness, beyond thought- 
divine." And when we hear the lessons which they 
teach, and join our voices in their chorus of praise to 
Him, then is his name, as revealed in his works of na- 
ture hallowed ; for then the desire of our soul is to his 
name, and to the remembrance of Him. 

Again, had man never departed from that state of 
innocence and of order in which the Most Ancient 
Church lived, no other mode of revelation would 



lord's prayer. 35 

have been necessary. And all other modes of revela- 
tion have been made to him in a manner adapted to his 
disordered and fallen state ; and they have been designed 
to restore him to that original state of order in which 
he held communion with the Lord, and communication 
with the spiritual world, through the medium of the 
natural world around him. 

As adapted to this end, and as given for this object, the 
Written Word is the Name of God, addressed to man 
in his fallen and disordered state. It was given by 
the Lord to teach man his character and attributes. It 
is his name, because the medium by which the Lord 
becomes known. But here, one may object and ask, 
if the Word was not given to teach man what he him- 
self is — his disordered state, and to reveal what he should 
be, and the means by which he may become so ? 
We answer, that in being taught what the Lord 
would have man become, we indirectly learn the cha- 
racter of the Lord, who endeavours to re-create man in 
his own image and likeness, to restore him to purity 
and order, and to bring forth, bright and unsullied, the 
Divine image which had been once implanted in man. 

The Written Word is a name of God which all men 
can learn to pronounce — which comes down to the states 
of all — and is adapted to all capacities. To man in a 
sinful and impenitent state, deaf to the voice of reason, 
and hardened against all entreaties of love, as under- 
stood in his state of impenitence, it reveals no mercy, 
except on condition of repentance. To such a mind 
it reveals the Divine Law, and speaks in tones of 
authority — it reveals the Lord as the Almighty God, 
as an all-consuming fire — as quick to punish, and a ster- 



36 SERMONS ON THE 

rible to the transgressor ; yet as merciful and gracious 
to the penitent. Its language is that of authority and 
of encouragement : " Cease to do evil, learn to do well ; 
then come, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be 
white as snow." " If ye be willing and obedient, ye 
shall eat the good of the land ; but if ye refuse and 
rebel, ye shall be devoured of the sword, for the Lord 
hath spoken it." To the humble, docile, and penitent 
mind, its thunders have all passed away, or roll only 
at a distance. It speaks the language of reason in 
tones of love. It reveals the character of the Lord only 
as merciful and gracious, long-suffering, not willing 
that any should perish, but that all should come to a 
knowledge of the truth and be saved ; — as using all 
means that Infinite Wisdom can suggest, to reclaim 
man from his sinful and disordered life, and to lead him 
to do justly, to love mercy, and to enjoy the happiness 
of his salvation. 

For this end the Lord is revealed in the Scriptures 
as acting in several different relations towards men, 
and called by as many different names ; but these dif- 
ferent names by which he is called in the Word, are 
only significative of the different relations in which he 
is there revealed. As revealed in one relation, he is 
called by the name of Jehovah ; in another by the 
name of God ; in another the two are united, and he 
is called Jehovah God. Again, when spoken of in 
relation to his government over the Jewish nation, and 
his appearance to all men in the same low and sensual 
state as the Jews were, he is called the mighty God of 
Jacob ; or revealed only in relation to his power, and 
called the Almighty — the great and terrible God. 



lord's prayer. 37 

When spoken of in one relation, he is called the Cre- 
ator; in another, the Redeemer; and still another, 
the Saviour. Again, when he is spoken of as mani- 
fested in the flesh, he is called Immanuel, the Word 
made flesh, the Son of God, the Anointed Saviour, or 
Jesus Christ. In the relation of teaching all who ac- 
knowledge him, and come to him for instruction in the 
truth, he is called Lord, or Master. All these differ- 
ent names are given to the Lord in the Word, when 
spoken of in the different relations in which he is re- 
vealed, in order to make himself known in those rela- 
tions to man. So the same man, when spoken of as 
standing in several relations to others, is called by as 
many different names; as, for example, a king, spriest, 
a judge, or a father ; which several names signify only 
the different relations which the same person holds to 
others. And these different names become expressive 
of the character of this one person when manifested in 
these different relations. Upon the same principle all 
the various names applied to the Lord in the Word, 
are expressive of as many relations to man in which he 
is there revealed. And the whole Written Word, taken 
collectively, is in this sense the name of God; that is, 
the medium of making known his character and attri- 
butes, as he stands related to man in a fallen and dis- 
ordered state. 

And how is this name to be halloived? It is to be 
hallowed by allowing it the authority of what it claims 
to be, the Word of God — by coming to it with an hum- 
ble, teachable disposition to learn its doctrines, that 
we may walk in the light which it reveals. And it is 
hallowed by us when read, not to confirm and sanction 

4 



38 SERMONS ON THE 

whatever opinions or sentiments we may have before 
imbibed, but when in a docile state we inquire what is 
there taught us to believe and to practise— when we 
coma to it, not with a captious disposition to sit in 
judgment upon what is there taught ; and like the 
Jews of old, take offence at what appears unintelligi- 
ble, because it may be above our present state to com- 
prehend; — but when, in the docile spirit of children, 
we come to learn the will of our Father — receiving and 
obeying what we are now in a state to comprehend. 
And with regard to what is above our present capa- 
city, or in advance of our present state, instead of as- 
suming the right of sitting in judgment to receive or to 
reject it (as if we were now able to weigh in the ba- 
lances of a childish reason all that the Lord has seen 
best to reveal for our future advancement), we are to 
suspend our decision, till by obedience to what we al- 
ready understand, we shall have attained a more ad- 
vanced state. And, especially, we are to let this rule 
guide and direct all our inquiries : — to always examine 
it in a state of desire to know the truth, for the sake 
of obedience and for life. This is the key that hath 
power to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. 
And a good understanding of it have all men, so far as, 
from the heart, they keep its commandments. 

Finally — The humanity which the Lord Jehovah 
assumed and glorified, as manifested in which he is 
called Lord, or Jesus Christ, is in the highest sense, the 
name of God to man in his fallen and disordered state. 
For to that Word which was made flesh, man is per- 
mitted to approach directly, and to learn, as fast as he 
is prepared to receive, the true character and the attri- 



lord's prayer. 39 

butes of the invisible Father, who is there brought 
forth to view, in a manner best suited to his state of 
apprehension. " And to as many as receive him, to 
them he gives power to become sons of God, even to 
them that believe on his name ; and they "receive the 
spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, or Father. 
This humanity, called the Son, is the mediator, that 
is, the medium of communication between God and the 
fallen state of man. It is such a medium of revealing 
the Father, that he who truly sees and " knows the Son, 
knows the Father also." For he says, " believe Me, I 
am in the Father and the Father in me." That is, we 
are united in one, like soul and body ; " the works 
that I do, I do not of myself, but the Father that is in 
me, He doeth the works." To the request of the dis- 
ciples, " Show us the Father, and that will satisfy us," 
Jesus replies — " He that hath seen me, hath seen the 
Father." 

Again it is said, " No man hath seen God at any 
time, but the Son" [the humanity assumed] " hath 
manifested him ;" " and no man can come to the Father 
except through" him. Again, it is said, "there is 
no other name given whereby ye can be saved, but the 
name of Jesus." The mere name or word by which 
he is called, is not any thing, only so far as it represents 
the thing signified, that is, the humanity which was 
assumed and glorified ; neither is this humanity itself, 
any thing, apart from the divinity within, which it is 
only the medium of revealing — the name by which the 
divinity is known. 

Of all kinds and degrees of blasphemy, therefore, 
that of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most 



40 SERMONS ON THE 

profane. When it is wilful, and not done in ignorance, 
or childish simplicity, it comes only from a state of 
deadly and hardened infidelity — a state of voluntary 
separation from heaven for hell. " This is the con- 
demnation light which comes into the world [Divine 
Truth is manifested through him in all his words and 
actions and life,] and the man that openly blasphemes 
his name, " loves darkness better than light." And 
thus he passes the sentence of condemnation on him- 
self. For he blasphemes the only name through which 
salvation can reach his state. 

Again, all irreverence, levity, and improper familia- 
rity with which we use the name of the Lord Jesus 
Christ, though removed from the avowed atheism and 
infidelity of open blasphemy, come from an unhallowed 
state of affections. 

Neither do we hallow his name when we withhold 
from him what he claims to be, " God with us" — 
and confirming ourselves against his divinity, by the 
literal appearances of Scripture — the merely appa- 
rent truths which were spoken in accommodation to 
the low states of those addressed, we cast the stones of 
natural truth — mere sensual arguments — at him, be- 
cause he makes himself equal with God. 

But his name is hallowed, when with teachable and 
obedient minds, we come to him to learn of him ; when 
we endeavour to make the spirit of his life, as manifested 
in the world, the pattern of our own; when we copy his 
example, and walk in the light of his truth; when we 
deny ourselves all that he forbids, take up the cross, 
even in the greatest temptations — following him by a 
life of faith and obedience to his precepts. His name is 



lord's prayer. 41 

also hallowed when our faith and obedience is such, 
that he can work within us "to will- and to do ;" cast 
ing out devils — all our sinful affections and lusts ; and 
when we consecrate ourselves as living sacrifices to 
him, which is the worship of the mind ; for with such 
sacrifices alone is he well pleased. Thus do we pre 
pare ourselves to become the meet temples of his truth 
to dwell in — his kingdom can come, his will can be 
done, in us and by us on earth, as it is done in heaven. 
Whenever, therefore, we bow in prayer, saying, 
" Our Father who art in the heavens," we should first 
endeavour to conceive distinctly of the Being to whom 
we pray. And to his name and to the remembrance 
of him, should the desire of our soul be, when we re- 
peat, hallowed be thy name" Thus do we prepare 
ourselves to receive a more full manifestation of Him in 
his works, and in his Word, and in that name which 
is above every name, which he hath glorified to be the 
medium of his brightest effulgence to our minds. Then 
may the voice that speaks from his works (the harp of 
universal nature) become attuned, and unite in the song 
of Moses and the Lamb, in ascriptions of honour and 
of praise to Him. 



42 SERMONS ON THE 



fntptt SSS* 

Matthew vi. 10. 

" Thy Kingdom come." 

In the preceding discourse on the words "Hallowed 
be thy name/rafter explaining the spiritual meaning 
of the word name, your attention was directed to what 
is signified by the name of. God, and to the manner in 
which his name is to be hallowed. 

The words, " Thy kingdom come," next in order in 
the Lord's prayer, are expressive of that state of desire 
for obedience, which is the consequence of a sincere 
acknowledgment of the Lord, as " our Father who art 
in the heavens," and of that state of worship for which 
we are to pray in the words " Hallowed be thy name." 
By these words, " Thy kingdom come," we are taught 
to pray that we may know, and obey the truth — the 
laws of the Divine Kingdom, and thus that we may be- 
come the subjects of that kingdom. 

In the language of the Sacred Scripture, the Lord is 
often called a king ; those who acknowledge and obey 
him, his kingdom. The natural idea of king, is that 
of a man who is acknowledged as having a right to 
give laws to his subjects, and to enforce obedience to 
them. If wise, the laws which he gives to his subjects 
will be expressive of his will — they will manifest his 



lord's prayer. 43 

moral state and character. And if his laws are obeyed 
freely, the moral and intellectual character of his mind 
will be seen manifested in the order, the prosperity and 
the happiness of his kingdom. This natural relation 
of a king to his kingdom, is used to illustrate the relation 
of the Lord to the Church. The Lord is called a king 
because he is the source, and to be acknowledged as the 
source of all moral and spiritual truth, which are the 
laws of his kingdom. And the Church is called his 
kingdom, because it consists of those who acknowledge 
and obey the truth, and who thus allow his laws to 
come forth into life, — because it consists of those who 
are suffering themselves to be regenerated, by giving 
up their own wills — the kingdom of self, in order to 
live in obedience to the laws of the kingdom of heaven. 

In order that you may better comprehend the spirit- 
ual truth contained in the words of the text, we will 

First — Briefly state the doctrine of hereditary de- 
pravity — and explain the nature of that kingdom 
which is to be given up before the kingdom of the Lord 
can come. 

Man, as we are taught in the doctrines of the New 
Church, was originally created in a state of order, and 
he lived for a time in the acknowledgment of the Lord. 
But by the abuse of his liberty and his reason, he fell 
from the state of innocence in w T hich he was created. 
He fell into a state in which he ceased to ac- 
knowledge his sole dependence on the Lord as the 
"tree of life;" but by "eating of the tree of the 
knowledge of good and of evil," he became " as God," 
in his own estimation. He afterwards begat sons 
in his own likeness. The disordered state of his own 



44 SERMONS ON THE 

life was transmitted, and recommended in that of his 
offspring. His posterity have therefore all been born in 
a state of disorder. They have come in the world and 
commenced their existence, not with a load of actual 
sins, for which they are responsible and guilty; but 
with the incipient germ of life disordered and corrupt — 
with hereditary propensities and tendencies to all kinds 
of evil. Instead of love to the Lord, and love to- 
wards the neighbour, the love of self, forms the ruling 
principle of the hereditary life with which man is born. 
He is not willing to live in the acknowledgment of his 
dependence on the Lord, and that he is merely a reci- 
pient of life from him. But the natural ruling affec- 
tion with which he is born prompts him to say, " we 
will not have the Lord to reign over us." 

The successive stages of human depravity, in its 
gradual descent, is illustrated by the parable of the 
husbandmen, and the vineyard. " A certain man planted 
a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, and went 
into a far country for a long time. And at the season, 
he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should 
give him of the fruit of the vineyard : but the hus- 
bandmen beat him and sent him away empty. And 
again he sent another servant: and they beat him 
also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away 
empty. And again he sent a third, and they wounded 
him also, and cast him out. Then said the Lord of 
the vineyard, what shall I do ? I will send my beloved 
son ; it may be they will reverence him, when they 
see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they 
reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir, 
come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. 
So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him." 



lord's prayer. 45 

Thus have the human race successively departed 
from that state of order, and from that acknowledg- 
ment of their dependence on the Lord, in which man 
existed when in the state represented by the garden of 
Eden. He is now born with a nature inclined to evil 
— with a state of affections opposed to acknowledging 
the Lord, as Lord of the vineyard $ but he has cast 
him out, and taken possession, and set up the king- 
dom of self. He is born with affections which prompt 
him to live as if he were the irresponsible lord of 
all ; as if no one above him was to be practically ac- 
knowledged as superior to his own will. And this 
hereditary state of affections and life, is the kingdom 
which is to be given up, before the Lord can be ac- 
knowledged as Lord over all — before his " kingdom 
can come." 

Secondly — The end of the Divine Providence, in 
its government over men, is to cause him, while pre- 
served in a state of freedom, to give up this kingdom 
of self, to acknowledge the Lord, and live in a state 
of obedience to his laws; and thus to become re- 
generate. 

For this object the Lord provides, that the truth — 
the laws of the kingdom of heaven, shall be taught and 
accommodated to all the various conditions of men — • 
that the truth shall come to them in a manner adapted 
to all states and capacities to receive it. And that it 
shall also be accompanied with that kind of authority 
and influence, which will secure obedience to it in the 
best manner. 

In the first place, we see the wisdom of the Divine 
Providence in the ordering of the circumstances of 



46 SERMONS ON THE 

man's birth and education. He is not at first born into 
a state of full maturity and manhood, but he is born a 
helpless infant, with the feeblest powers, and he is long 
subjected to the will and authority of another. His 
soul is but a tender germ of life from that of his parents. 
His mind is a mere capacity to receive and to appro- 
priate ; and it requires to be supplied with its proper 
aliment for growth and expansion. Gradually and 
slowly is he qualified and able to receive. His un- 
derstanding opens only by slow degrees to receive a 
knowlege of truth. His will is at first comparatively 
weak ; yet he soon begins to manifest its nature and its 
tendency. He soon shows that he has a will — a king- 
dom of his own. A will, too, that is opposed to the en- 
lightened reason, and to the authority, of the parent. 
Now, in the order of Providence, the truth — the laws 
of the kingdom of heaven, as they are adapted to this in- 
cipient state of life, are first taught the child in the form 
of instruction and moral precepts, accompanied with 
suitable authority to enforce obedience. In the order of 
Providence, the will of the child is long subjected to the 
will of another. It is the design of a wise Providence 
that he should not be suffered to have his own way; 
but that he should be coerced, and kept subject to the 
laws of moral truth, by the authority and influence of 
those placed over him. All this course of instruction 
and of discipline is perfectly adapted in its nature to 
his state, and it is designed by Providence to break and 
subdue his will, the kingdom of self, and to keep him 
subject to the laws of truth, as they are felt through 
the influence of those placed over him. As designed 
by a wise Providence, the whole course of his instruc- 



lord's prayer. 47 

tion and moral discipline during childhood and youth 
is perfectly suited to restrain and subdue his will, and 
to cause the child to yield obedience to the truth, as it 
is taught and enforced by his parents. And when 
the truth has, from the first, been rightly presented, 
and successively adapted to his advancing state, if ac- 
companied by suitable example and authority, when 
the child arrives at maturity and freedom, he will in the 
order of Providence be prepared to come into the ex- 
ercise of his own reason, and into the enjoyment of his 
freedom. He will then be able to understand and to 
acknowledge the truth, as a law above his own will. 
And this disciplinary course of obedience to his parents, 
will tend to prepare him to give up his own will and to 
live under a sense of his responsibility to the Lord. 
True, a great work will yet remain to be done. His will, 
though checked and restrained, will not have been sub- 
dued ; and he must yet pass through many trials and 
temptations before the kingdom of self will be given 
up, so that the Lord alone will be acknowledged, and 
his kingdom established. Yet there will by an orderly 
preparation made for this work now to commence, 
which will progress as he advances in life, comes into 
the free exercise of his reason, and forms a character 
which is strictly his own — that for which he alone is 
responsible. 

Again, we see the wisdom of the Divine Providence 
in the manner in which the Lord adapts the truth, and 
reveals himself to men in the Sacred Scriptures. His 
truth — the laws of his kingdom, are there first brought 
down to the lowest state of depravity and sin. The 
Lord is there revealed, as it is necessary that he should 



48 SERMONS ON THE 

be first revealed, to man in a state of disorder and re 
bellion. The table of the Decalogue given at Mount 
Sinai, which is a summary of the whole law, and the 
awfully imposing manner in which it was first given 
to the Jews, are the most perfect exhibition of Divine 
Truth, and of the character of the Lord, which men 
can first receive, while in the same sensual state in 
which the Jews were, when the Decalogue was given 
to them. The Lord is there revealed as coming down 
to a state of ignorance and perverse rebellion. His 
commands are in the letter, few, simple, and plain to be 
understood; yet broad and comprehensive. They were 
first given in a manner to have the most awe-constrain- 
ing effect — being uttered by an audible voice from a 
cloud of darkness resting on Mount Sanai, amidst 
thunderings and lightnings, and the mountain on fire. 
And afterwards they were written on two tables of 
stone, which were delivered from Jehovah to Moses, 
and required to be preserved for ever, as sacred, in the 
inmost of the Temple, and to be often read by the 
priests in the audience of the people. To all men, while 
in the same low and sensual state in which the Jews 
were, the character of the Lord must appear as he is 
there revealed, as arbitrary and vindictive, strict to 
mark iniquity and to punish sin. But if, through the 
dread of his power, man is restrained, and for a time held 
in a state of obedience to his laws, he finds a change going 
on in himself, and a corresponding change taking place 
in the apparent character of the Lord. His commands 
begin to lose their arbitrary appearance ; he, by degrees, 
is prepared to see their reasonableness — the end for 
which they were given — how perfectly they were suited 



lord's prayer. 49 

to his state, and his wants — he begins to love them, 
and to delight in obeying them. He now sees some- 
thing of the wisdom and the goodness of the character 
who gave them to him. And thus he is led on to wor- 
ship and to adore him for his wisdom and his love, 
whom he at first obeyed only through fear, and dread 
of his power. 

Thus the laws of Divine Truth, and the character of 
the Lord, as revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, gradu- 
ally open upon his mind. Just in the degree that 
man gives up his own will, and obeys the Lord, that 
which at first appeared as arbitrary, when it comes to 
be viewed in connexion with the state to which it was 
addressed, is seen to be the most perfect law of reason 
which could reach him. The commands are then seen 
in connexion with the end in view, and the effects 
which they are producing upon himself; and he learns, 
that "in keeping them is great reward. " And as he 
obeys, he learns by experience, that the law — the literal 
sense of the Scriptures, as addressed to the Jews, is as 
a schoolmaster to bring him to the gospel, that he may 
become baptized with its spirituality. And he finds that 
the character of the Lord has also been successively un- 
dergoing a change at every step of his progress in a life 
of obedience. 

As by a life of submission and obedience to the 
Divine Law, at first through fear, his own character 
undergoes a change, his obstinacy and perverseness 
are subdued, he becomes prepared to receive and to 
acknowledge the Lord in a new relation, revealed in 
his true character, as acting from love only, in the 
relation of his Redeemer and Saviour. As by obe- 

5 



50 SERMONS ON THE 

dience the change takes place in himself, and he is pre- 
pared to become a disciple of the truth for its own sake, 
he is no longer required to stand, like the Jews with 
awe, at the foot of the Mount, and hear the law pro- 
claimed in a voice of thunder; but with the disciples 
of Jesus he is permitted to go up on the mount, and 
to sit at his feet, and see the blessedness which the 
law was given to effect ; to hear it spiritually un- 
folded by Jehovah, in the character of a Divine 
teacher — the Word itself made flesh. And as he 
follows on by obedience to know the Lord, he will at 
length become prepared, after passing through the six 
days' work of regeneration, to receive the Lord in his 
true character — to see the Son of Man as coming in 
his kingdom — the Divine Humanity, as it appeared in 
glory to the three disciples when on the mount. Such 
is the manner in which the Lord adapts his truth, and 
successively reveals himself to man in the Sacred 
Scriptures. 

Without entering into the subject, we may allude also 
to the wisdom of Providence in teaching man the laws 
of his kingdom, as manifested in the natural world 
around us — in all the joy and happiness of the lower 
orders of creation, which are fulfilling the end of their 
being, and which have no power to resist the Divine will. 
By the history of the past, and by observation on the 
present state of mankind, we may see how misery and 
'punishment follow as the consequence of disorder and 
rebellion. And we also learn, by our own experience, 
both that "the way of transgressors is hard ;" and that 
" in keeping the commandments is great reward." 

Thirdly — Whenever we repeat the words, " Thy 



lord's prayer. 51 

kingdom come," in whatever state of life we are, we 
should endeavour to bow our wills to the Divine Law — 
the revealed truth; and by submission and obedience, 
allow the Lord to reign within, and to govern our lives. 
The kingdom of God is not an outward kingdom ; it 
comes not by observation; it must come from within. 
It comes only as we deny the kingdom of self, and 
obey him. And the degree and extent of our obedi- 
ence to the truth, marks the progress of its coming. 

That character which has been impressed upon us 
by the influence of education, during the period of our 
minority, and while subject to the will of others, is not 
strictly our own — that for which we are responsible. 
Our character first becomes our own, when we arrive 
at that period in which the rational mind is first deve- 
loped, and we are left in freedom to act of ourselves — 
from our own state, and according to our own reason. 
Previous to this period of life, our understandings may 
have been enlightened, and our memories stored with 
a knowledge of much truth, and through the influence 
of education, we may have lived in external obedience 
to it ; but if we have done so, it has been from the in- 
fluence and the authority of others. Their will and 
their character, have been impressed upon ours. 

If the truth has always been rightly presented, 
and adapted to our state, and if we have early and 
habitually been required to give up our wills to the en- 
lightened will of those placed over us, the work of 
self-denial will now be comparatively easy ; and as we 
come into the rational and free exercise of our own 
state, obedience to the truth, will meet with less resist- 
ance. But we cannot possess a character that is strictly 



52 SERMONS ON THE 

our own, only so far as our reason has been enlightened 
by a knowledge of truth, and we have been left in 
freedom to act from our own state, and from our re- 
sponsibility to the Lord alone. 

It is the inward ruling affection, or purpose, when 
we arrive at this period of life, that determines our 
character, whether it be good or evil. If this ruling 
affection be for self and for the world, though it is possi- 
ble there may have been much done which is prepar- 
atory to the work of our future regeneration, yet the 
kingdom of God has not become established, nor can 
our regeneration be properly said to have commenced. 
But we are still in a state to be addressed and governed 
by the authority of law, as the Jews were — as selfish — 
as being influenced only by the selfish hopes of reward, 
or by the fears of punishment. But if our inward ruling 
affection is now to obey the truth — to give up our own 
wills and to acknowledge the Lord, by a life of obedi- 
ence, then his kingdom is acknowledged and is coming. 

Much yet remains to be done, and much to be suf- 
fered, before we shall have wholly put off the remains 
of the kingdom of self, so as to enjoy a state of peace. 
Many and severe are the inward conflicts and tempta- 
tions through which we must pass. An inward warfare 
is yet before us, and many will be the struggles for 
victory between the two opposing kingdoms of self and 
the Lord. Yet there will now be an inward purpose — 
to live in obedience to the laws of the Divine King- 
dom — a conscience enlightened by the truth to restrain 
and to govern — upward and onward aspirings after 
higher and more perfect states of life. When tempted by 
the love of self and the world, we shall now look to the 



lord's prayer. 53 

Lord, and our prayer will ever be, " Thy kingdom 
come" Our state, is not yet that of peace and of rest 
from temptations ; many are the evils within, which 
will yet have to be manifested and overcome. The Ca- 
naanites are not yet subdued, they still remain in the 
land to tempt and to prove Israel. # 

Indeed, this is but the third day in the progress of 
regenerate life. We have been first instructed in a 
knowledge of religious truth, by which the earth (our 
natural state of affections and life) has been covered 
over and restrained. And the spirit of the Lord has 
moved upon the face of these waters, and caused us to 
see the distinction between spiritual light and darkness: 
a firmament also has been made to appear in the midst 
of the waters, to divide the waters above the firmament 
from those beneath (or the spiritual degree of the mind 
has been so far opened, that we have come into a state 
to perceive distinctly that there is a spiritual state to be 
attained, and we can see the difference between natural 
and spiritual truth, f The waters have also been gathered 
together, so that the dry land is now made to appear : 
the earth is established, and upon its surface the grass, 
the tender herb, and the tree yielding fruit, are seen 
springing forth (or we are now in effort to apply to life, 
and to bring forth into natural forms and into the acts 
of charity, and the works of use, all the knowledges of 
truth which have been before stored up in our memo- 
ries.)- — This is now our state. But the work is yet im- 
perfect. The great luminaries are not yet set in the 
heavens. The earth and the seas are not yet animated 
and peopled with the infinite forms of animated life — 



54 SERMONS ON THE 

nor doth man yet come forth in the image and likeness 
of his Creator, so that God can rest from his labours. 

Finally — Whenever we pray, "Thy kingdom come" 
whatever may be our state, or to whatever degree in 
regenerate life we may have attained, we should en- 
deavour to ascend, as it were, above our present state 
of life, and to form more perfect conceptions of truth — 
of the perfect order of the Divine Kingdom ; and then, 
in humility, look to the Lord for strength to give up our 
own wills — all that is opposed to the truth, to our pre- 
sent perceptions of the order of heaven, that the truth 
may come forth into external action and life. Long and 
severe may be the conflicts between the two opposing 
kingdoms within us; but if we steadfastly look to the 
Lord, and in all our ways acknowledge him, "he it is 
that fighteth for us." And though the Canaanite (our 
hereditary evils) cannot all be exterminated at once, yet 
by little and little shall they be driven out, and Israel 
(the spiritual truths of the Church, the laws of the Di- 
vine Kingdom) shall ultimately come in and take pos- 
session, and be established throughout the land, and be 
at rest from their enemies. " They shall sow the fields 
and plant vineyards, which may yield the fruits of in- 
crease." If we steadfastly look to the Lord, and deny 
self in order to obey externally the laws of his king- 
dom, He will not cease to be continually operating with- 
in to fill with renewed life every vessel that is emptied 
of the love of self and of the world. So that not only his 
" Kingdom may come," but that his " Will may be done 
on earth as it is in heaven." 



lord's prayer. 55 



errant: I3£ 



Matthew vi. 10. 

" Thy will be done, as in heaven so upon the earth." 

According to the doctrine advanced in the preced- 
ing discourse on the words, " Thy kingdom come" the 
Lord is spoken of, in the Sacred Scriptures, as a king, 
because He is the source of all truth, which is the law 
of his kingdom; and his kingdom comes when the 
truth is acknowledged and obeyed, as the law of the 
Lord. 

When the ruling purpose of life, is to deny self, and 
to yield obedience to what is seen to be the truth, then 
the kingdom of the Lord is acknowledged, and set up 
in the mind ; then, although many spiritual enemies may 
remain to be overcome, yet man does from the inmost 
affection desire to obey the truth, and when reminded 
of his weakness and his unsubdued evils, he looks to 
the Lord for strength to overcome them, and prays, 
" Thy kingdom come." 

But the kingdom of the Lord may have so far 
come, as to be established in man, as that his truth 
shall be acknowledged as the law of life, and still 
the work of his regeneration remain very imperfect. 
Farther — he may have advanced so far as to love the 
truth and obey it freely, and still not to be actuated by 



56 SERMONS ON THE 

the highest states of affection. For example, he may 
love and obey the law of honesty, not from the 
promptings of spontaneous affections in the will, so 
much as because he sees in that law, though it is 
above the present state of his natural affections and in- 
clinations, an adaptation to promote the happiness of 
mankind — because he perceives it to be a law that 
originates in the Divine Benevolence towards man. 
This perception of truth in his understanding may be 
so clear and strong, that he will deny himself and 
freely obey it, though in advance of the state of his 
affections. 

But, although this law is in advance of his present 
state of affections, so that it requires self-denial in 
order to obey it, still there must be an inward love 
for it, as the ground of reception, which compels obe- 
dience. When acting from this state, man is spoken 
of in common language, as a man governed by prin- 
ciple ; or as a man of conscience. He may for a long 
time continue in this state of obedience to the truth, 
before he advances to that higher state of affections 
and life in which his actions will flow out as the spon- 
taneous, and, as it were, the instinctive impulses of 
affection and love. 

And it is also possible that he may always continue 
to remain in this state of life — acting from principle in 
obedience to truth, and from a sense of duty, without 
ever advancing to a higher degree of regeneration. If 
so, while in this world, he will be an honest, conscien- 
tious man in his life. And if he continues in this de- 
gree, he will, after death, belong to the middle or the 
lower heavens — the spiritual or the spiritual-natural 
kingdom of the Lord. 



lord's prayer. 57 

But if he continues to advance in the work, so that 
he becomes regenerated as to the affections of his willy 
he will be not only honest and just, but benevolent, 
and act for the good of others, from the impulse of 
love, and after death be received into the Lord's celes- 
tial kingdom. But is necessary, in the order of rege- 
neration, that each one should be regenerated first as 
to the spiritual degree, by acknowledging and obey- 
ing the truth, as preparatory to his being regenerated 
as to the celestial degree — the affections of the will. 
The spiritual degree of regeneration, must necessarily 
precede the celestial; the " kingdom" of the Lord 
must "come," before his "will" can " be done." But 
though man may remain in this state of obedience to 
truth, and not continue to advance to the celestial state, 
yet it is the continual effort of the Lord to cause him 
to advance: and in this petition of the Lord's prayer, 
man is taught to pray, not only that the Lord's "king- 
dom" may "come," but that his "will may be done 
on earth as it is in heaven." 

The words kingdom, and will, are not therefore here 
used as synonymous terms. Doing the will of the 
Lord, implies all that is included in being a subject of 
his kingdom — and more. The distinction may be ex- 
pressed thus ; the one consists in knowing the truth 
and being in a state of free obedience to it, as the means 
of good. The other is a more advanced state ; it is de- 
light in doing, in acting, as from the spontaneous im- 
pulses of the affections of that love in which the truth 
itself originates. 

In the doctrines of the New Church, we are taught 
that man was originally created a finite recipient of the 



58 SERMONS ON THE 

attributes of the Divine Mind. That his will is the 
faculty of receivkig and of being affected by the influ- 
ences of the Divine Love. That his under standing is 
the faculty of receiving and of perceiving truth, or Di- 
vine Wisdom; and that he is also endowed with the 
power either of using or of abusing what he receives. 
He can pervert the love which flows into his will into 
hatred, and the truth of his understanding into error. 
And he is suffered to exercise this power. 

The terms will and understanding, as used in their 
most restricted sense, signify merely these recipient 
faculties. But they are oftener used in a more general 
sense, to signify not merely the recipient faculties, but 
also to embrace the sum of all the knowledge and all 
the affections pertaining to them. 

Truth and error, knowledge and ignorance, percep- 
tion and thought, are predicated of the understanding. 
Good and evil, benevolence and selfishness, passion 
and affection, are predicated of the will. These facul- 
ties, with the knowledge and affections pertaining to 
them, are often designated in popular language, by the 
terms head and heart. Though men are but little ac- 
customed to reflect or generalize on this subject, yet 
this distinction in the mental faculties is every day re- 
cognized in common discourse. When we speak of the 
disposition, temper, feelings, or moral qualities of a per- 
son, we are describing the state of his will. When we 
speak of his powers of thought, readiness to learn and 
comprehend, or the amount of his knowledge, we are 
describing the state or quality of his understanding. 
Although closely and inseparably united in every action, 
yet they are distinct faculties ; as distinct as thought 



lord's prayer. 59 

is distinct from affection, or truth from goodness. All 
moral quality belongs to the will. This is the seat of 
the affections both good and evil. 

Though originally created in a state of order, and in 
the image of his Creator, man is fallen. By having 
abused his rationality and his freedom, his understand- 
ing has become darkened by ignorance ; and under the 
influence of sense, it is enslaved to error. His reci- 
pient will is now perverted, and instead of being the 
orderly recipient of the affections of love, it is so dis- 
ordered as not to receive freely of the Divine Love, till 
it has become perverted to evil and selfishness, by the 
mediums through which it comes. Such is its degene- 
rate state. It is the recipient of goodness after it has 
been perverted to evil. 

Without here entering further into the subject of 
human depravity, suffice it to say, such is its seat, and 
such was its origin. It began in our first parents 
with the first transgression, or departure from the laws 
of Divine order ; it has been transmitted from parent 
to child in the successive generations of the human 
race, and thus it becomes hereditary ; and it has in- 
creased or diminished in degree in each generation, 
according to the moral state of the parent — according 
to the degree that he had suffered himself to be restored 
to a state of order. 

The work of man's regeneration consists in causing 
him to freely give up his own hereditary life — the rul- 
ing affections of evil or of self-love in his will ; and to 
receive renewed life — or affections from the Lord. It 
is therefore a work of self-denial. It consists in causing 
the will — the recipient faculty, to become what it was 



60 SERMONS ON THE 

at first designed to be, the orderly finite recipient of 
Divine love, from which proceed the affections of good- 
ness, or spiritual affections. The work must begin, as 
has been said, by teaching man the truth — the laws of 
Divine order, and by first enforcing an external obedi- 
ence to them ; just as the child is required to give up 
his own will, and by the influence of authority to sub- 
mit to the commands of his parent. And, as has been 
before said, in the order of Divine Providence man is 
for a long time kept under the authority of others, and 
in a greater or less degree, made subject to the truth 
through their influence over him. 

In the order of Providence, this state of instruction, 
and of moral discipline, during his childhood and youth, 
is designed to prepare him for the exercise of his 
freedom, when he arrives at manhood. When he ar- 
rives at this state, and is no longer under the authority 
of others, but acts in a state of freedom ; if he then 
acknowledges and obeys that truth in which he has been 
instructed, as the law of God, and because it is his law, 
then the kingdom of God is acknowledged and set up 
in his mind. He then sees that his natural affections 
and propensities are opposed to the truth as the law of 
his life. He is often tempted, and may often violate his 
conscience. But if he is principled in the truth, he will 
afterwards see it, repent of it, and desire to obey in future. 
And the words, " Thy kingdom come" express the in- 
ward desire of his will, to deny himself and to obey the 
truth, as the Divine Law. They are expressive of a 
state in which he looks to the truth as a law above 
him, as the acknowledged law of his life, and as the 
rule of his actions. He is now in effort to obey 



lord's prayer. 61 

it as such. And he thus first becomes regenerated, as 
to his understanding and his external life. 

It is indeed true, that the affections of his will must 
also have been changed in some degree. There must 
have been inwardly a love for the truth, or it would 
not now be obeyed. But the degree of regeneration ex- 
pressed by the words, " Thy kingdom come" extends 
only to a state of love for the truth, and of free obe- 
dience to the truth as the Divine law. It is a state of 
desire to know, and of effort to externally obey it in life, 
for the sake of the good it is seen adapted to impart. 

But the words, " Thy will be done" are expressive 
of a higher state — a state of desire that we may not only 
know an.d love the truth, but that we may feel and be 
actuated by those affections of love from which the 
truth itself proceeds and comes forth. Our prayer then 
is, not that we may merely understand and obey the 
truth as the law of God, but that we may act from 
those affections which are the fulfilling of the law — and 
from which, without further self-denial we should be 
prompted to act freely, and as it were involuntarily, 
just as the truth would teach and direct, but without 
thinking of the truth, as the law of our action. 

The desire expressed in this petition, therefore, is, 
not so much that we may see and obey the truth, as 
it is that we may receive into the will the affections 
corresponding to it. It is not so much for clearer per- 
ceptions of the truth that we are to pray, as for stronger 
affections of love. It is not so much that our external 
lives and actions may be better, as that they may spring 
from better affections, or more elevated states of the 
will. The words express a desire that we may be as 

6 



62 SERMONS ON THE 

sisted to give up all our selfish affections, and that we 
may receive and be actuated only by the affections of 
benevolence and love. As the words, " Thy kingdom 
come" express a desire that our understandings may 
be enlightened, that we may have clearer perceptions 
of the truth, and that we may live in obedience to them; 
so the words, " Thy will be done" express a corres- 
ponding desire that our wills may be receptive of more 
elevated affections of benevolence and love, from which 
the actions of life shall proceed. 

The kingdom of the Lord, however, must come, be- 
fore his will can be done. It is by first knowing, and 
by self-denial, externally obeying the truth in life, that 
we are made receptive of the affections of love in the 
will corresponding to it. " No man can come to the 
Father" — or receive the Divine Love into the will, "ex- 
cept through me" — through the acknowledgment of the 
Divine Truth that is revealed and manifested. 

"As in heaven so also upon the earth" By these 
words we are taught to pray that the will of the Lord 
may be done by us here on earth, as it is done by the 
angels in heaven. Upon the earth signifies by us in 
our present natural state ; or that the love which the 
Lord inspires into the will may be brought forth freely 
and fully into life and action by us here in the natural 
world. 

The angels in heaven, we are taught, were all once 
men, and began their existence in the natural world, 
either on this or on other earths in the universe. Their 
natural life formed the first plane, as the basis of their 
present existence in the spiritual world. And the pre- 
sent state of each one, now depends on the quality of 



lord's prayer. 63 

the life he once lived in the natural world. The de- 
gree that each one advanced in regeneration while in 
the natural world, now forms the basis of his present 
life in the spiritual world, and determines its quality. 
And the different degrees of regeneration to which they 
severally advanced while in the natural world, is the 
ground of their general order and arrangement into the 
two kingdoms called the spiritual and celestial king- 
doms ; and also into an innumerable number of socie- 
ties in each of these two kingdoms. 

But into whatever society in either kingdom, any 
one is finally received, he must be first prepared for 
admission into it. He must be first regenerated to the 
same degree as those with whom he associates, both 
internally and externally. So far as he does inwardly 
acknowledge the Lord, perceive the truth in his under- 
standing, or feel the affections of love in his will, so 
must he appear outwardly. It is not there, as it is 
here, allowed any one to appear different from what 
he really is ; or finally to associate with others of a 
different state from his own. 

There is, however, in that world an internal and an 
external to each one, as well as in this world ; but the 
external there, is made to correspond to the internal, 
and to act as one with it. The spiritual body in which 
each one exists, is a true corresponding form and mani- 
festation of the state and qualities of the mind. So 
his external words and actions are the undisguised ex- 
pression of his internal affections and thoughts. And 
the external objects by which each one is surrounded, 
are such as correspond truly to the state and quality 
of his affections and thoughts, so as to embody them 



64 SERMONS ON THE 

forth in their true corresponding forms and images. 
The affections and thoughts there, are in the will and 
in the understanding — their recipient faculties, which 
forms there internal (and which, for the sake of dis- 
tinction, may be called their heaven.) These same affec- 
tions and thoughts manifested in words, actions, and 
corresponding external objects and forms, are their ex- 
ternal, (and for the sake of distinction, may be called 
their earth.) Their earth is their heaven inform. It 
is the state of their internal affections and thoughts 
manifested in external objects and forms, actions and 
life. " The will of the Lord is done upon" their "earth, 
as it is in" their " heaven." 

And so, in the words of the text, are we taught to 
pray, that such may be our own state. We are taught 
to pray, first, that the Lord's "kingdom may come" 
or that our external life — our earth, may be formed by 
obedience to the Divine order of truth. Next, that 
this external form may be filled and animated with 
corresponding affections of love, as the life from which 
it flows forth ; so that our internal state may corres- 
pond truly to our external life, — and our external life 
to our internal state ; that as the will of the Lord — ■ 
the affections of his love, are in our recipient wills, so 
they may be really manifested, and take their corres- 
ponding forms, in our natural bodies and in our lives 
as connected with the natural world; that, as is done 
in the heavens, our internal and our external may be 
united and act as one, so that the will of the Lord may 
be done on our earth — in our natural life, as it is in our 
internal, or spiritual state of mind. 

The present is indeed a mixed state of good and of 



lord's prayer 65 

evil with us all, even with those who are being regene 
rated, and in whom the kingdom of the Lord is ac 
knowledged and set up. Man is, while here, in a state 
of equilibrium, and open to influences both good and 
evil — from above and below ; and he may yield to 
either, and his servant he becomes, whom he obeys. It 
is the ruling affection, or governing desire of his will, 
which decides his character. If that be directed up- 
ward, and if he acknowledges the Lord, and is in effort to 
obey his will and laws, though the character may be im- 
perfect, yet the man has received the first principle, the 
germ of goodness, and the work of his regeneration has 
commenced. Much may remain to be done before he 
is prepared for admission into the society of the hea- 
vens. His external life must be formed so as to cor- 
respond to this ruling affection and desire of his will, 
whatever may be the degree of its elevation. But 
it is this internal state of affection which decides his 
character, and which will determine his state hereafter. 
And this state is formed while he remains in this world, 
and is not changed after death. If he suffers his he- 
reditary state of affections to rule, and leaves this world 
without having ever denied self and acknowledged the 
Lord, his course is doivnward, and it will continue so, 
till he shall have been successively vastated of all those 
external appearances of goodness which are inconsistent 
with his ruling love ; and at last he shall appear ex- 
ternally as he is internally — ripen for his own place in 
the infernal world, and come into association with his 
like. But if the ruling purpose which has been formed 
in this life, be to give up his own will, to acknowledge 
the Lord, and to live in obedience to His will, then all 

6* 



66 SERMONS ON THE 

that is inconsistent with this internal state, must be 
successively put off. In the present life this ruling pur- 
pose must be formed. It is this which spiritually asso- 
ciates him with angels, even while here in this world. 
And it is the effort of the Lord that even in this 
world also, his external life should be made to corres- 
pond to this internal state, as it is done in heaven by 
those angels with whom he is internally associated. But 
this work is not, in thepresent disordered state of man, 
but seldom, if ever, fully accomplished before his re- 
moval to the intermediate world of spirits. If a good 
man, before he can be admitted, so as to live in free- 
dom and become sensibly present in the society of 
those angels with whom he is spiritually associated, he 
continues to undergo the work of vastation, in the in- 
termediate world of spirits, which was begun here. 
This work consists in putting off all evils and errors 
in his external, which are not in agreement with his 
internal ruling love. His internal state, or his ruling 
love itself undergoes no change of quality after death ; 
it is only divested from what is extraneous and does 
not really belong to it. Whatever be the degree of its 
elevation, or into whatever kingdom or society it will 
qualify him at last to enter, it must be first fully brought 
out and manifested in external form and appearance. It 
must be delivered from the influences of others, freed 
from extraneous errors and falses, and be allowed to 
appear in its external form, uninfluenced by external 
authority, association ot circumstances. In a word, the 
distinction between what the man realty is, and what 
he appears to be, while in this world, must be removed. 
There will, it is true, be different degrees of perfec- 



lord's prayer. 67 

tion to which different individuals will attain, corres 
ponding to the difference between their ruling affection 
of life. But whatever this ruling affection may be, it 
must be truly and fully manifested, and brought forth 
into form. As the will of the Lord is done inwardly, 
so must it be done outwardly ; the earth must be made 
to correspond to the heaven, before he is allowed to 
come into the sensible presence and association of the 
heavens to which he is admitted. " There is nothing 
covered which must not be first revealed, or hid, which 
must not be known." 

" And by the words, " Thy will be done, as in hea- 
ven so also upon the earth" we are taught to desire 
and to pray, that such may be our present state. First, 
we are directed to pray that the " kingdom" of the 
Lord may " come" that we may know and obey the 
truth; next, that his "will" may " be done" that we 
may receive into our wills the corresponding affections 
of love, and be actuated by them ; and then, that these 
affections may flow forth into life — be brought out into 
form in the natural world, restoring the order of hea- 
ven to earth ; so that they may be conjoined and act 
as one; — that our natural bodies may become restored 
to order, and become regenerate as the true ultimate 
forms in nature, as the natural bases of spiritual minds; 
that all our depraved natural affections and propensi- 
ties may be overcome, and supplanted by those which 
are spiritual-natural ; and that, in all our relations, 
and all our duties as connected with this world, we 
may be in effort to bring out and manifest this same 
regenerating spirit — restoring the order, the perfection, 
and the happiness of heaven to the external world 



68 SERMONS ON THE 

around us. It is thus only thai the " new heaven and 
the new earth " can succeed the "first heaven and the 
first earth" which are to pass away ; — so that the ta- 
bernacle of God can be with men, and he can dwell 
with them, and they become his people, and God him- 
self be with them — their God. 



lord's prayer. 69 



|n mo it 3J. 



Matthew vi. 11. 

" Give us this day our daily bread." 

What these words signify in their literal sense is 
too obvious to require illustration. In their spiritual 
signification, we are taught to pray for a sense of our 
dependence on the Divine Providence— for a state of 
mind in which we shall have given up our own wills, 
and have ceased to be anxious or troubled, " saying, 
what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or where- 
withal shall we be clothed," but while seeking " first 
the kingdom of God and his righteousness," as the 
consequence, we see how all these things are provided 
by the providence of the Lord. The will of the Lord 
is not " done on earth as it is done in heaven," until 
man does feel and live under this sense of his depen- 
dence, and in this filial trust in the Divine Provi- 
dence. 

The order which we shall adopt in giving the spi- 
ritual signification of these words, will lead us to ex- 
plain — First, the spiritual meaning of "this day:" 
Secondly, the spiritual signification of " bread ;" and, 
Thirdly, what is signified by the request to " give this 
day our daily bread." 

First — " Give us this day." There is an analogy 



70 SERMONS ON THE 

or a correspondence between the natural world, and 
the spiritual world, both in general and in all particu- 
lars. This correspondence all men, in some degree, 
perceive and acknowledge, for it is the foundation of 
all figurative language. 

In the doctrines of the New Church, additional light 
is revealed upon this subject; and it there assumes the 
definiteness and the importance of a science, called the 
science of correspondences ', in accordance with which 
the Scriptures were written. Two things are peculiar 
to the natural world, which have nothing in common 
with the spiritual world, yet they have those things to 
which they correspond. These are space and time, 
which correspond to state and changes of state in the 
spiritual world. We often use the natural ideas de- 
rived from space in common language in accordance 
with this doctrine of analogy ; thus, we say of two per- 
sons who mutually dislike or hate each other, that they 
are far apart, though living together in the same place. 
We say of a good man, that he lives near to God ; of a 
bad man, that he lives far from God. We use the na- 
tural ideas derived from time in a similar manner. The 
successive changes which take place during the period 
of a day, as morning, noon, and evening ; or the suc- 
cessive seasons of the year, we use to signify successive 
states of mind, or changes of life. We say it is a day 
of mourning, or of joy ; we mean only, such is our state 
of mind. 

Our own state of affections and of life, or the 
changes which take place in our state of mind, mark 
the periods of time, and give to them their significancy 
and importance. And the note we take of time, is all 



lord's prayer. 71 

relative to ourselves— all depends on the state of our 
life. When in childhood, slowly and heavily rolled 
away the days of expectation for manhood ; but how the 
same number of days appears to us to gather rapidity 
as we advance in age and fly quickly away! When in 
pain, anxiety, and expectation, long and tedious appear 
the same number of hours that pass away unconsciously 
when at ease and in enjoyment. 

But what is time? Ask the child, and he defines 
it by saying, it is a measured portion of duration. Ask 
the philosopher, and he answers your question by at- 
tempting to explain the apparent revolutions of the 
sun and the moon in the heavens, by which time is 
divided into days, months, and years. But the ques- 
tion still returns, What is time? Time, itself, is not 
any thing which causes these changes in nature, by 
which it is measured ; but our idea of time is merely 
the effect of those changes in our finite minds — the 
consciousness which the mind takes of them as affected 
by them. And according to the state of the mind, 
the same series of apparent changes appear longer or 
shorter. The farther the mind is from a state of full 
enjoyment and happiness, the longer a given number 
of days appear. The nearer it approaches to a state 
of perfect order and happiness, the shorter it seems. 
What then must be the idea of time with the spirits of 
the just made perfect in heaven? With them, if in a 
state of perfection, time would be no more. The past 
and the future would be swallowed up, and lost in en- 
joyment. What idea of time, then, can exist in the 
mind of Him who sees the end from the beginning, 
with whom there is no change, and to whom that which 



72 SERMONS ON THE 

is past or future to finite man, is always present. With 
Him there is only eternal state. What then is eter- 
nity ? We give this name to all time, and such is our 
natural idea of eternity. But by adding years, or ages 
on ages to both ends of time, the past and the future, 
as we conceive of it, we can form no true idea of eter- 
nity. That which is finite bears no commensurable 
proportion to that which is infinite. Time is only the 
effect of changes in nature, and measured by them. 
Eternity cannot so be measured. God only is strictly 
eternal ? What then is eternity ? It is not the sum 
of all time, by which natural ideas we attempt to con- 
ceive of it ; but it is the existing state of the Divine 
Mind. It is the felicity of Infinite Love. And man 
becomes eternal only by being withdrawn from time and 
approximating in state and character towards Him, 
who is unchangeable. 

The measured periods of duration, however, or our 
natural ideas of time, are those by which we think of, 
and express changes of state in the mind ; and they 
are used in the Scriptures, which are written according 
to this principle of correspondence, merely as mediums 
of expressing ideas of change of state in the mind. 
Time, in general, corresponds to changes of state. 
While connected with the natural world, the suc- 
cessive changes which take place, in our minds, take 
place in measured periods of duration, and those 
periods are therefore used, in the Scriptures, to mark 
and to describe them. Thus all the changes from a 
merely natural to a spiritual or regenerate state of 
life, are described by a series of changes in nature ; as 
by the successive seaso?is of the year, or the successive 



lord's prayer. 73 

hours of the day ; or, again, by several successive 
years or days together. The six days of creation in 
the book of Genesis, in their spiritual sense, signify not 
the creation of the material earth and heavens, but the 
re-formation or regeneration of man, from the state of 
merely natural and animal life, when his mind is with- 
out form, and void, and the darkness of spiritual igno- 
rance broods over the deep of his passions and lusts, 
till he comes forth formed into the image and likeness 
of God ; — wisdom enlightening his understanding, the 
affections of love filling his heart — enjoying a sabbath 
of rest from the labours of temptation, and living in 
communion with the Lord. So the renewal of the 
sabbath, and the observance of the sabbatical year 
in the representative church of the Jews, signify the 
same. The period of seven days, and of seven years, 
was made to represent the successive changes of state 
in the mind, from a merely natural to a regenerate or 
spiritual state. 

It is also in a similar sense, that all the various 
names of divisions, or periods of time, are used in 
the Scriptures. Evening, to signify a state of compa- 
rative darkness, or spiritual obscurity ; morning, a suc- 
ceeding state of illumination. So time past, signifies 
changes which have, in the order treated of, taken place. 
Time future, as to-morrow, states yet to come. To-day 
the present state, not as to time, but as to state of mind. 
Always, whenever we look to the Lord in prayer, we 
are to say give us this day, not to-morrow, not at any 
future time or state, but this day. We are always to 
use this form — and we should always be in a state to 
repeat it from the heart. What then is signified by this 

7 



74 SERMONS ON THE 

day ? As it is always to be used, and as we should 
always be in a right state to use it, it must signify con- 
tinually,\\\ the state of mind in which we ask it " Give 
us our daily bread" 

Secondly — The literal signification of bread, is 
food for the body. It is used both in a restricted, and 
general sense. In its restricted sense, it is used to denote 
but one kind of vegetable food. In its general sense, to 
signify all food by which the body is sustained. This 
is the most enlarged idea that the natural man receives 
from the language used " Give us this day our daily 
bread :" — supply us this day with all necessary food, 
for the nourishment and support of the body. The 
language is thus in his mind exhausted of its meaning. 
Not so with the spiritual man. To him the language 
has indeed this meaning; but it has also another, 
higher and distinct from this ; as it were, the soul, of 
which this is the external body or covering. A know- 
ledge of the correspondence between the objects of the 
natural world, and the spiritual world, enables us to see 
distinctly this meaning. The body of man is natural ; 
it belongs to the world of nature ; but it is the ultimate 
form of the spirit, to which it corresponds. The natural 
body is but the organ of the mind. As a whole, it is but 
a perfect form — a manifestation and an instrument of 
the whole mind. Its parts and individual members, 
are but the corresponding instruments or organs of the 
different powers and faculties of the mind — perfectly 
suited to express its affections, passions, thoughts, and 
desires. The soul, which is merely an organized ca- 
pacity to receive life, that is, love and wisdom, by in- 
flux from the Lord, at first clothes itself with a corres- 



lord's prayer. 75 

ponding form of matter, called its body. The body- 
is, at first, formed by the accretion of matter. From 
the continual action of life within, it is always subject 
to growth and decay. The material substance of which 
it is composed, is ever undergoing change and substitu- 
tion. That which is taken into the system to-day, 
first undergoes the necessary changes, is then thrown 
from the heart, in the form of blood, into all parts of 
the body ; it is secreted and taken up where it is re- 
quired, remains for a time, decays, and requires to be 
removed and renewed. It is then exuded, or taken up 
again by the returning blood, and thrown from the 
system. Thus the change goes on. Thus as to the 
body, life and death are always at work — the change 
is ever going on. The body is always decaying, and 
always being renewed. The body is material, it re- 
quires to be supplied from matter. And the natural 
aliment necessary to supply its wastes and wants, in 
whatever form it is taken, we call by the general term 
bread. 

As the natural body corresponds to the spirit, so does 
the aliment, or bread, by which it is sustained, corres- 
pond to the aliment which nourishes and sustains the 
spirit — called the bread of life. 

The soul is not of natural, but of spiritual substance 
— an organized capacity to receive and to be affected 
by the Divine attributes. It is a finite recipient of love 
and of wisdom — the attributes of the Creator. The 
will is the recipient of love — the source of all affection ; 
the understanding is the recipient of truth, the source 
of all thought. It grows and comes to a state of ma- 
turity and perfection, only by receiving and appropri- 



76 SERMONS ON THE 

ating of these attributes. Consider the state of the 
infant. We see it is but a mere capacity to receive — a 
germ, which, if it be supplied with its proper aliment, 
continues to grow and expand during the longest life, 
and may attain to an indefinite degree of moral and in- 
tellectual expansion and perfection. But what does 
it require as its appropriate aliment ? It requires a 
knowledge of truth to be supplied to the understanding, 
and corresponding moral and spiritual affections, from 
which to act, to be supplied to the will. And the 
perfection of its development depends on the manner 
in which its opening capacities are successively sup- 
plied with their appropriate aliment — on the manner 
in which a knowledge of truth is successively adapted 
to the understanding, and perceived by it; and by 
means of truth, and all moral influences, good, benevo- 
lent affections are implanted, and caused to be received 
into the will. 

If the natural body depends for life, growth, health, 
and perfection, on the aliment it receives, and in 
having it successively adapted to its ever-changing 
state as it advances from infancy to age, the spirit 
of man is not less dependent for that which is its ap- 
propriate aliment — the knowledge and the appropria- 
tion of truth in the understanding, and of good affec- 
tions in the will. Let the child grow up uninstructed, 
supply him only with natural food, but keep from him 
all knowledge, and the influence of all truth, and what 
does he become? A mere brute in the shape of man. 
His mind is without form and void, and darkness 
broods over all his animal passions and propensities. 
And the degree of perfection to which he attains as he 
advances in age, depends solely on the degree of truth 



lord's prayer. 77 

he can be made to understand, receive, and appropriate 
to life; and, consequently, on the degree of love [moral 
and spiritual affection] which, by the medium of truth, 
becomes implanted in his will. In a word, it depends 
on the degree that he appropriates to himself the proper 
aliment of his mind — truth and love, which is spiritual^ 
bread. On a moment's reflection this must be plain to 
every one. For what makes the broad moral and in- 
tellectual distinctions among mankind? Simply the 
different degrees of truth seen and acknowledged in 
their understandings, and of good affections in their 
wills. Again, what is man but a mere capacity to re- 
ceive and appropriate knowledge and affection ? Sub- 
tract from him, even at his maturity, all knowledge of 
truth, and all moral affections, and what remains ? His 
natural body merely, with all its animal propensities, 
and a capacity to receive knowledge and affection. 

Such, then, is the spiritual signification of bread as 
used in the Sacred Scriptures. 

When used in connexion with wine or with water, 
bread is ttuBn used in its literal sense to signify only solid 
food. But both bread and wine, taken together, are 
used to signify all natural food. When thus used in 
connexion, wine or water in its spiritual sense, signifies 
truth; and bread, good affections, expressed by the 
general term of love. 

It was from this spiritual signification of bread and 
wine that Melchisedek, king of peace, priest of the 
most high God, when he came out to bless Abraham, 
brought forth to him bread and wine — the emblems of 
all blessedness, truth, and love, which are to be received 
in the understanding and will, and appropriated to life. 



78 SERMONS ON THE 

It was from this corresponding signification of bread 
and of water, that the representative church of the Jews 
subsisted during forty years in the wilderness, on man- 
na, called bread from heaven, signifying the good of 
truth, and on water, which signifies spiritual truth 
adapted to the state of the natural man to receive it, 
as in the literal sense of Scripture. It is because of this 
signification of bread and of wine, that they are used 
as emblems in the Holy Supper of the Church. Bread 
signifying love or good affections, and wine spiritual 
truth ; the reception and the appropriation of which 
from the Lord constitute spiritual life. 

When both are used in connexion, bread signifies the 
good of love ; wine the truth of faith. When bread is 
used alone in the Scriptures, it spiritually signifies all 
that constitutes and sustains spiritual life, both truth for 
the understanding, and love for the will. 

In this supreme sense, it is applied by the Lord to 
Himself, to signify Himself as the source of all truth 
and love. And the humanity which he assumed, is a 
medium by which this bread is broken up, and adapted 
to the reception of all who come unto him. We see, 
therefore, the spiritual meaning of his words, " This 
is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that 
any man may eat thereof, and not die." "I am the 
living bread which cometh down from heaven ; if any 
man eat of this bread he shall live for ever." And 
the Lord is spiritually made known to man only 
by the breaking of bread ; that is, by adapting and 
in accommodating a knowledge of spiritual truth to 
his state of reception, by which, as a means, he im- 
parts love to the will. Such is the spiritual significa- 



lord's prayer. 79 

tion of bread in the text. And such should be our 
idea when we look to the Lord in prayer, and say, 
" Give us this day our daily bread" We are indeed 
to look to, and to acknowledge the Lord as the source 
of all that we need to supply our natural wants — food 
for the nourishment and support of the body ; but also 
in a higher sense, as the source of all truth, and all love 
— the bread of life, of which man is merely a recipient, 
but which he must continually receive and appropriate 
or he hath no spiritual life. 

Thirdly — We are not taught to pray except for our 
u daily bread." In the literal sense we are taught to 
acknowledge our dependence, by asking only for that 
nourishment of which we now stand in need. We 
are not taught to say, give us to-morrow, or for the 
future, but give us this day. So in the spiritual sense 
are we taught to feel continually our dependence for 
spiritual bread — to ask for that knowledge of truth, and 
those affections of goodness* which we are in a state to 
freely receive and appropriate to life. 

Thus the words, " Give us this day our daily bread" 
express little or much, as suits the state of him who re 
peats them. When the child is first taught to repeat 
these words, he thinks only of natural food. And, when 
the merely natural man, all of whose wants and de- 
sires are confined to the natural objects of this world, 
repeats or hears these words, he thinks only of his 
natural wants — food for the body. Not so with the 
spiritual man ; he feels other wants, he has other de- 
sires. He knows, and desires to feel more sensibly, his 
dependence on the Lord to supply them; that every 
good and perfect gift comes from his Father in the hea 



80 SERMONS ON THE 

vens. And when he prays give us this day our daily 
bread, his mind rises from natural to spiritual food. He 
desires and prays for the light of truth to guide his 
feet in the paths of duty and of usefulness in the daily 
walks of life ; for the influences of love to expand and 
warm his affections, to stimulate and increase his energy 
in every good word and work. 

But it may be here objected and said, that all men, 
the natural as well as the spiritual, have and desire, to 
some degree, a knowledge of truth, and act from some 
kind of affections ; that this is true of the child and of 
the merely natural man, as well as of the spiritual man — 
of the evil, as well as the good. This is indeed ad- 
mitted. And those affections from which each one does 
act, and those principles according to which each one 
does live from day to day, are, in the spiritual sense, as 
applied to his state, the bread which he appropriates 
to his life. But that for which each one should pray, 
be his state good or evil, is that the Lord in his pro- 
vidence would adapt that knowledge of truth to his 
mind, which he shall be best able to receive into life ; 
and also to impart corresponding affections, from which 
he will act and live in obedience to the dictates of truth 
in his understanding. Such is the daily bread, for 
which each one should look to the Lord, that he may 
receive and appropriate to life. It is indeed true that 
the Lord created all men to receive and to appropriate 
this bread to life, and that he is ever in continual 
effort to impart it to all who can be made to receive it. 
But it is essential to all moral goodness, that all men be 
left in a state of freedom to receive or to reject it — to 
use or to abuse it. And indeed all do receive; but 



lord's prayer. 81 

the evil pervert as they receive, to their own destruc- 
tion ; love into hatred, truth into error, and thus they 
eat and drink unworthily — condemnation to them- 
selves. While those who are sincere, who come to the 
Lord for instruction, and receive and obey his Word, 
and thus appropriate their daily bread, " have everlast- 
ing life ; they shall no more come into condemnation, 
for they have past from death unto life." 

As by the words, " Give us this day our daily 
bread" we are taught to pray in the literal sense for 
daily food for the body ; so in their spiritual sense we 
are taught to pray daily for spiritual bread. As the 
manna given to the representative church of the Jews, 
signified by correspondence, spiritual food, so also the 
manner in which it was given, signifies, in a spiritual 
sense, the manner in which we must receive and appro- 
priate to life that which it represented. It was given on 
the morning of each day. The Jews were required to 
gather it, each one for the day ; day by day was he re- 
quired to gather his daily bread; he that gathered much 
had nothing over ; he that gathered little had no lack; 
but if it was laid up for the morrow, except for the 
Sabbath, it bred worms and stank. By representatives 
we are here taught, in the spiritual sense, how to re- 
ceive and to appropriate to use, day by day, our daily 
bread. We are taught to act immediately from the 
promptings of those benevolent affections which we 
feel, and to continually acknowledge and obey the dic- 
tates of that truth which we perceive ; and that we 
cannot otherwise grow and advance in spiritual life. 
It is vain to confide in those airy flights of the ima- 
gination — in occasional excitement of the passions — or 



82 SERMONS ON THE 

in the transports of enthusiastic rapture. We are, as 
we live. No affections are really ours from which we 
do not act. No faith is ours which is not made prac- 
tical, and becomes a lamp to our feet, in our daily 
walks of life. The affections from which we act, and 
the principles according to which we live, and daily 
regulate our lives, are the spiritual bread which we are 
daily appropriating to life. 

The light and warmth of the natural sun are con- 
tinually emitted. But they can never be treasured up 
for future use and enjoyment. They must be received 
and enjoyed as they continually flow. So it is with 
the truth and the love imparted from the Lord. They 
are ever the same ; but they are not imparted to be 
treasured up for the future use ; they can be received 
only at the present, and be appropriated to life day by 
day. We can call no truth ours, which has not now 
become a practical principle of life — no affections ours, 
except those which now prompt our actions — no bread 
ours, except that which we daily appropriate, and 
which becomes a part of our living body. 

Man, in a merely natural state, looks on the subject 
of regeneration and spiritual life, as he does on the 
natural world. This does indeed appear to him to be 
a grand display of the wisdom and the power of the 
Almighty ; but he looks upon it rather as a passive 
lifeless machine, which was at first created and set in 
motion, by some great exertion of power, and then left 
to move on independent of its Maker, according to 
laws at first established, and which continue to operate 
independent of Him. But as he becomes spiritual, he 
looks upon the natural world as the living body of a 



lord's prayer. 83 

living soul — the external manifestation of a vital prin- 
ciple within, and he looks to the Lord and acknow- 
ledges him as the source from which this vital energy 
continually proceeds. So does the natural man look 
on regeneration and spiritual life ; he regards that as a 
work which may be once done, and then left complete. 
But he learns by experience to feel, that he is continu- 
ally dependent on the same power to sustain,, which 
was first necessary to create ; that he must continue to 
ask, to receive, and to appropriate his " daily bread. " 



84 SERMONS ON THE 



inraott SfSf; 

Matthew vi. 12. 

" Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." 

By the spiritual sense of the words, "Give us this 
day our daily bread," as explained in the preceding 
discourse, we are taught to pray that we may live 
under a sense of our continual dependence on the Di- 
vine Providence. And it will be our object to illus- 
trate, in this discourse, that by the words, " Forgive 
us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," we are taught 
to pray that the laws of the Divine Benevolence may 
be received by us into life, and be exercised in their 
forgiving operations. 

The Greek word which is here translated, debts also 
signifies moral offences ; and the word translated, 
debtors signifies also moral offenders. In the form of 
the Lord's prayers, as given in the Gospel of Luke, the 
word sins is used instead of the word debts. And it 
is obvious, from the explanation which immediately 
follows in the context, that the word debts is used 
here to signify only moral offences: "If ye forgive 
men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also 
forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, 
neither will your heavenly Father forgive your tres- 
passes." Thus in the very form of asking for our 



lord's prayer. 85 

own forgiveness, we are taught the conditions on which 
to ask it and on which alone it can be received. 

As the nature of Divine Forgiveness involves one 
of the most fundamental points of difference, between 
the doctrines of the Old Church and those of the New 
Church ; as preparatory to presenting the doctrine of 
the New Church on the subject, we will endeavour to 
illustrate, 

First — The distinction between real truth and the 
appearances of truth ; and then inquire whether the 
common doctrines of a vicarious atonement is not 
merely an appearance of truth, which first originated 
andean be received only in a particular state of mind. 

Every one recognizes at once the distinction belween 
real truths and that which only appears true in the na- 
tural world. For illustration, it is a real truth that the 
earth is round, and daily revolves on its axis ; it is the 
first appearance of truth that it is flat, and remains at 
rest. It is real tmth that the sun is a round body, many 
times larger than the earth, and at rest in the centre of 
the system ; it is the first appearance of truth, that it is 
a flat disc of but few inches in diameter, and that it 
daily moves around the earth. This will make plain 
the distinction between truth and appearances in objects 
addressed to the sight. 

There is a corresponding distinction between real 
truth, and the mere appearances of truth which origi- 
nates in the different states of the mind. 

No principle is plainer, or more generally admitted, 
than that the same subject, or the same person appears 
different to us in different states of our own mind. 
And that almost every thing is varied and qualified, by 

8 



t 



86 SERMONS ON THE 

the moral states, and the changes of our own feelings. 
Take an example, as the simplest illustration of the 
principle. When a little child is docile, and submis- 
sive to the will of a good parent, he sees nothing mani- 
fested towards him from the parent but kindness and 
love. He approaches the parent with the perfect con- 
fidence and freedom of innocence ; and he meets only 
with smiles and the expressions of love. And so far 
as he is able to comprehend it, he sees his real charac- 
ter manifested towards him. But on the other hand, 
when the child has been disobedient, and remains ob- 
stinate and perverse, how different the appearance! 
A cloud then comes over his state, and he sees every- 
thing through its mist and darkness. He is suspicious, 
and afraid to approach — and while he remains in this 
state, he sees, or fancies that he sees, only the frowns 
of displeasure, and the rod of chastisement. But no 
real change has taken place in the state of the affec- 
tions of the parent towards him ; the change has all 
originated in himself. The love of the parent is the 
same, though the same love for the child is manifest- 
ed in a different form. In the first state, the child 
sees the real character and state of the parent's affec- 
tions truly manifested towards him. In the other, he 
does not see his real character and affection for him 
manifested, but only his apparent character ; his 
character as jt appears and as it must appear to him 
in this state ; — or real love manifested in the form of 
reproof, correction, and apparent anger. 

Again, to a man in a state of innocence, the civil officer 
and the judge of law, are not an object of fear, but appear 
in their true character as his friends and protectors. But 



■ 



lord's prayer. 67 

when guilty, he is suspicious and afraid, and they then 
appear as his enemies. True, they are not so, but to 
him they appear so, and must appear so, as long as he 
remains guilty. Now, though different in appearance, 
no change of their real character has taken place, 
either in the parent or in the officers of civil law. 
The parent is as truly benevolent towards the child in 
showing the frown of displeasure, and using the rod 
of chastisement, as in the smiles and expressions of 
kindness and love. And punitive justice or corrective 
punishment, is the best form of benevolence, which 
can be shown to the impenitent transgressor of the law. 
Now if we apply this principle to explain the lan- 
guage used in the Sacred Scriptures, we shall perceive 
that the Lord is spoken of sometimes in his real, and 
sometimes in his apparent character — sometimes as 
he appears to man in a good state, and sometimes as 
he appears to him in an evil state. And this will 
enable us to reconcile the literal contradictions, which 
so often occur. The Lord is sometimes spoken of as 
acting only from love; at others, as being angry with 
the wicked every day ; sometimes as unchangeable ; 
at others, as repenting of what he has done. In one 
place it is said, that the Lord tempts no man, — neither 
is he tempted of any ; in another, that the Lord 
tempts man, and is tempted of man. Sometimes he 
is spoken of as delighting in mercy and forgiveness; 
at others, as unforgiving, stern, and revengeful. Now, 
these literal contradictions are reconciled on the princi- 
ple that one is the real truth, the other only the ap- 
pearance to man in a particular state of his own mind. 
In the one instance the Lord is spoken of as he really 



88 SERMONS ON THE 

is, and as he appears to man in a good state of mind. In 
the other, he is spoken of as he appears to man in an 
£vil and perverse state of mind. In order to rightly 
understand the language of the Sacred Scriptures it is 
necessary that this principle should be clearly under- 
stood and rightly applied. 

Again, no principle is more universally admitted 
than that we are naturally prone to judge others by 
ourselves — to impute to them the same affections and 
the same motives by which we are ourselves actuated ; 
and that we do actually judge of the character of the 
Lord upon the same principle, and think him " as al- 
together such a one as ourselves." Consequently, 
while we are under the influence of merely natural af- 
fections and selfish motives, we must necessarily im- 
pute the same to the character of the Lord. And it is 
not till the work of regeneration has commenced, and 
the affections are becoming spiritual, that we begin to 
see the Lord as manifested in his true character. While 
our love for others is limited by their ability and sub- 
serviency to promote our own happiness, we can form 
no higher idea of the character of the Lord, than that 
of doing all things for his own glory. 

As man ascribes to the Lord the same end, and the 
same motives by which he is himself governed, so long 
as his own supreme delight consists in the exercise of 
power, such will be his idea of the character of the Lord. 
The Lord will appear to be actuated by the same stern, 
vindictive, and unforgiving spirit by which he himself 
is actuated. Just in the degree that man himself imputes 
evil to his fellow man, is unforgiving and vindictive 
towards his enemies, so will the Lord appear towards 



lord's prayer. 89 

him. As with the merciful, He appears merciful, so 
with the fro ward will He appear froward. As long as 
man is stern and unrelenting, and proudly repels from 
his presence, one who has done him wrong, and re- 
fuses to become reconciled on the condition of repent- 
ance alone, until the claims of justice are fully an- 
swered, and entire satisfaction has been made either 
by the offender himself, or by the mediation of 
another person, who comes in to produce a reconcilia- 
tion by cancelling the obligation, so must the charac- 
ter of the Lord appear, as manifested towards him. 
And, here we have the origin and the philosophy of 
the doctrine of a vicarious atonement, according to 
which we are taught that God can be just in pardon- 
ing the sinner only through the substituted sufferings 
and death of Jesus Christ his Son, who has suffered 
the penalty of human guilt, appeased the wrath of God 
against the sinner, and satisfied the claims of justice. 
This doctrine has its origin in the apparent character 
of the Lord — his character as it is seen reflected from 
man's own sinful, perverse, and unforgiving state of 
mind. And it is confirmed, not by any enlightened 
understanding of the Scriptures, but by the mere lite- 
ral appearances of the truth — by mistaking that for the 
real character of the Lord, which is true only of his 
character as it appears, spoken of, and is manifested 
to man in such a state of mind. And, although a 
man may have been brought up and educated in 
the belief of this faith, yet it will be qualified and 
rejected just in the degree that he puts off this natural 
selfish state of affection in which it originates, and his 
affections become spiritual. 



90 SERMONS ON THE 

And as the work of regeneration begins, he will 
learn the true character of the Lord, and the nature 
of Divine Forgiveness, as the consequential effects of 
what is experienced by himself. So far as he over- 
comes these natural selfish affections in himself, and 
exercises the spirit of forgiveness, he will perceive 
as the consequence, the nature of Divine Forgive- 
ness. 

Secondly — It is therefore only an appearance that 
the Lord is unforgiving and imputes sin to the sinner — 
an appearance which arises out of his own sinful and 
unforgiving state of mind. The real truth is, that the 
Lord is actuated only by love ; and that towards the 
wicked his love is always shown in the form of mercy 
best adapted to their condition. It is indeed true, that 
he suffers the consequential effects of their sins to come 
upon them ; and often are they in transient sorrow 
and affliction; or suffering the more permanent effects 
of their disorder and transgressions. 

But the Lord delights not in their punishment, or 
in their sufferings. He hath no " pleasure at all in 
the death of the sinner/' but desires him only to 
" turn and live." It was not because the God the 
Father, in the character of a lawgiver, was offended, 
and had feelings of indignation and wrath towards a 
sinful world, that the sufferings and death of the Lord 
Jesus Christ was rendered necessary to effect man's 
redemption — it was not to remove any obstacle to 
their forgiveness on the part of God — it was not to 
endure as a substitute, the penalty of human guilt, or to 
make any exhibition of doing it, in order to sustain the 
authority of a violated law. But, on the contrary, il 



lord's prayer. *91 

was to save man from his sins— to deliver him from 
that state of mind in which the real character of the 
Lord appears so opposite to the truth — it was to re- 
move the only obstacle to forgiveness, which was on 
the part of man himself, by bringing him to repentance, 
and to the exercise of forgiveness. In a word, the ob- 
ject which the Lord, by assuming humanity, came to 
effect, was to deliver man from that state of sin and 
disorder, in which the true character of the Lord could 
not be manifested ; and by bringing him to repentance, 
to restore him to that state of order and of holiness in 
which the Divine character could be seen in its true 
light. 

Had the object of the sufferings and death of Jesus 
Christ been, as is taught, to make a vicarious atone- 
ment for sin, by suffering its penalty, or by exhibiting 
the indignation of God against sin, it would seem, they 
ought to have been inflicted, or to appear to have been 
inflicted, by the offended lawgiver himself. But how 
different is the fact. Though he was literally " wounded 
in consequence of our transgressions, bruised for our 
iniquities;" and though the "chastisement of our peace 
was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed," 
yet to all human appearance, his sufferings were all 
laid on him, not by the offended lawgiver, but wicked 
men and evil spirits. They were all occasioned by his 
having come down to our depraved and sinful state, 
by his having taken upon himself our disordered na- 
ture, that he might become exposed to temptation, and 
sympathize with the tempted. They were only the 
consequential effects of bringing the truth down to such 
a state — expressions and manifestations of evil and 



92 SERMONS ON THE 

selfish affections towards the truth itself, seen and felt 
manifested through him. Though he was " taken from 
prison and from judgment/' and " led like a lamb to 
the slaughter/' yet it was by the ministry of wicked 
men and devils. He did not appear in any manner by 
his sufferings, to exhibit the stern, unrelenting charac- 
ter that is ascribed to the Father — this view of the sub- 
ject can be only an appearance to man in his own sin- 
ful state. For there is no allusion to such a^ause for 
his sufferings by the Lord himself when upon the earth ; 
and his whole life is one continued scene of mercy, 
and exhibition of forgiving love. To all appearance, 
he came to exemplify, in all the circumstances of his 
life, and by his endurance of the treatment of all his 
persecutors and enemies, the doctrines which he so 
plainly and forcibly taught and illustrated, that God is 
merciful to the evil and to the unthankful. And to 
crown all, he expires on the cross, praying for his ene- 
mies, " Father, forgive them ; they know not what they 
do." The real truth, therefore, is that the Lord is ac- 
tuated only by love, and that this love is always ope- 
rating for the evil as well as the good ; that he is using 
all possible means to withhold man from sin, and to de- 
liver him from it, and its consequences. And every 
other view of the subject is only an appearance of truth, 
which originates in our own evil state of mind. And 
the object for which he assumed humanity, was to re- 
veal him in his true character, and to bring man into a 
state in which he would act from the same spirit — to 
bring him to exercise the same forgiveness towards 
others for which he prays for himself. 

It is indeed true, that the Lord reveals himself in 



lord's prater. 93 

the Scriptures, in accommodation to man in a fallen 
and evil state. He is there often spoken of as he ap- 
pears to man in such a state of mind, as angry with 
the wicked, as stern and unforgiving. It is also true, 
that in his all-seeing wisdom, he permits man to read 
and to understand the Scriptures differently, each one 
according to his own state ; and also that he has, in his 
providence suffered a system of doctrines to be confirmed 
by the literal appearances of truth in the Scriptures, and 
to be taught in the Christian Church. But these doc- 
trines are addressed to the same state of mind, to which 
the literal sense of the Scriptures is addressed; and they 
are confirmed by their authority only when literally un- 
derstood. He does indeed suffer men, who are in a 
state to see his character in such a perverted form of ap- 
pearance as to ascribe to him the evil passions of their 
own minds, to approach him, as if appeased and ren- 
dered placable, like the idols of the pagan, through 
sacrifices, and even by the death of his son. And far 
should it be from any one who is enlightened in the 
truth, to arraign his wisdom, or to do violence to the 
states and feelings of those who can receive him in no 
higher character. He should not endeavour to take 
from them this belief, till their affections begin to 
change, so as to enable them to have a better under- 
standing of the truth. Controversy and contention, 
he should have none with them. But their faith will 
change with the state of their affections. Just in the 
degree that they live in obedience to the truth, and re- 
ceive in their wills the affections corresponding to a life of 
obedience, their faith will be qualified — these false ap- 
pearances, which were first suited to them, will be 



94 SERMONS ON THE 

understood aright ; and the real character of the Lord, 
like the sun, will break through these clouds of literal 
appearances and appear in its true light, as the conse- 
quence of the change taking place in themselves. And 
they will by experience learn the real truth which we 
would explain. 

Thirdly — That the exercise of forgiveness towards 
our enemies, is always attended with the feeling, and 
with the perception of our own forgiveness with the 
Lord. 

" Forgive and ye shall be forgiven," is the doctrine 
so much insisted on in the teachings of the Lord. " If 
ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father 
will also forgive you, but if you forgive not men their 
trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive 
your trespasses." " When ye stand praying, forgive 
if ye have aught against any, that your Father in the 
heavens may forgive you." " Peter said unto Him, 
Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I 
forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, 
I say not unto thee, until seven times ; but, until 
seventy times seven." So in the parable immediately 
following, when that servant was brought before his 
lord, that owed him ten thousand talents, but who had 
nothing to pay, inasmuch as he is described as peni- 
tent and humble, he is forgiven the debt. But as soon 
as he himself is seen manifesting an unforgiving dis- 
position towards his fellow-servant, that same debt which 
was before cancelled, is spoken of as revived.. This 
illustrates what must be the appearance of the Lord's 
character to man in the different states of his own mind. 
When he himself is forgiving, he feels and perceives 



LORD'S "PRAYER. 95 

that he is forgiven. He then, while in this state, does 
not use the language of prayer, but he utters that of 
thanksgiving — " Blessed are the merciful, for they ob- 
tain mercy." 

When, therefore, we repeat the words, " Forgive us 
our debts, as we forgive our debtors," if we are in the 
merely natural state, and under the influence of merely 
selfish affections, our thoughts and aspirings will not 
rise above the desire of our own forgiveness. We shall 
think of the Lord as actuated by the same feelings to- 
wards us, as we ourselves exercise towards our enemies 
And the burden of our prayers will be mere servile pe 
titions for pardon on the same conditions on which we 
forgive our enemies, viz. : that the claims of justice have 
been satisfied — a mere pretence of forgiveness. 

But as we advance in the regenerate life, and come 
into more rational perceptions of the Lord's true charac- 
ter, this selfish desire for pardon will pass away, and our 
prayer will be only for a forgiving spirit. We shall then 
be enabled to see, that as we ourselves forgive, so only 
can we be forgiven. That the punishment of sin, which 
we at first regarded as arbitrary and vindictive, is only 
a consequence inseparable from the sin itself; such a 
consequence as the Lord has no power to remove, ex- 
cept so far as we can be freely induced to give up the 
state or disposition of mind in which it originates. 

Consequently there can be no real forgiveness, except 
on the condition of repentance, and the exercise of a 
forgiving spirit. And should the Lord now proclaim 
that pardon to all mankind, for which the natural selfish 
man so earnestly prays, their condition would still re- 
main unchanged. As long as man himself retains a 



96 SERMONS ON THE 

selfish unforgiving spirit, he cannot be delivered from a 
false and a perverted view of the character of the Lord, 
or from that load of conscious guilt, and degradation, 
and those fearful forebodings of future misery, which 
must exist as the inseparable consequences of such a 
state of mind. 

Finally, Although such is the nature of Divine For- 
giveness, let us not lose sight of our dependence on the 
Lord for ability to exercise this spirit, and consequently 
to be forgiven. That only "which comes down from 
heaven can return to heaven." Of our own selves, this 
spirit we should never exercise, for our affections are 
naturally selfish and unforgiving; but the Lord is con- 
tinually endeavouring to break and to subdue them, 
and to render us the recipients of those affections which 
are spiritual, and which flow into our wills, as the con- 
sequence of self-denial, and of a sincere acknowledg- 
ment of our dependence on Him. When, therefore, we 
bow before him in prayer, and say, " Forgive us our 
debts, as we forgive our debtors," we should endeavour 
to feel this dependence, and to open our minds to the 
influence of this spirit. And as it flows into our wills, 
and becomes active in its forgiving operations, it will 
bring with it the conscious perception of our own for- 
giveness. The real character of the Lord will also have 
its true manifestation — and as we have a more en- 
lightened view of the nature of Divine Forgiveness, the 
language of prayer will be turned into that of thanks- 
giving for the blessing bestowed, " Blessed are the mer- 
ciful, for they obtain mercy." 



lord's prayer. 97 



ixmn 3JSS. 



Matthew vi. 13. 

" Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." 

The first clause of the text, " Lead us not into 
temptation," is expressive of a desire that we may be 
armed against the assaults of evil, and the power of 
temptation. The latter clause, "but deliver us from 
evil," is expressive of a desire to be delivered from 
that which is the cause of temptation — the evil within 
ourselves. 

Before attempting to explain the nature, effect, and 
use of temptations, we will endeavour to explain more 
particularly, 

First — The words of the text, and show how they 
are differently understood in different states of 
mind. 

The form of this petition, " lead us not into tempta- 
tion," seems to imply that temptations come from the 
Lord. This, like much of the language in the Sacred 
Scriptures, is not the real, but merely the apparent 
truth ; — the real truth, that the Lord tempts no man ; 
but that man is tempted when he suffers himself to be 
drawn away of his own lusts and enticed to sin. The 
appearance, however, to man while in temptation, is, 
that he is tempted of the Lord. And much of the lan- 

9 



98 SERMONS ON THE 

guage of the Scriptures is addressed to man as the sub- 
ject treated of appears to the natural, unregenerate 
mind. For example, the Lord is sometimes repre- 
sented as angry, as repenting, and as being rendered 
merciful by the penitence and the prayers of men: these 
are but mere appearances to man in different states and 
changes of his own mind. For with the Lord there is 
no change. 

We should not, however, take offence at the literal 
sense of the Scriptures, and imagine ourselves above it, 
merely because we can rationally see a higher degree 
of truth than such literal appearances. For we shall 
find, that though our understanding may be elevated to 
see a higher degree of truth than that sometimes con- 
tained in the letter of the Scriptures, yet these literal 
appearances of truth always describe the truth as it 
does really appear when seen in the more natural state 
of mind. And though it is not always according to what 
the understanding maybe enlightened to perceive as 
truth, yet it describes what appears so when under the 

influence of natural and selfish affections, and what the 

* 

natural man does practically believe to be true. 

The natural man, it is true, may be rationally con- 
vinced that the Lord does not tempt man, yet his life 
and conversation show that he does practically believe 
it. On what ground does he daily excuse or palliate 
his faults? Simply on the ground that he was placed 
in trying circumstances — that he was strongly tempted. 
The circumstances in which he was placed, he argues, 
were all ordered by Divine Providence, and that he 
could not do otherwise. But what, let us inquire, gives 
to circumstances such power over the mind to betray it 



lord's prayer. 99 

into sin ? Circumstances are not the cause of the sin, 
they are only the means^of bringing out the evil, of 
showing to man his real state, of manifesting the real 
affections of his heart, from which flow the issues of his 
life. If his affections were all pure and spiritual, what- 
ever might be the external circumstances of his life, 
his words and actions would be only corresponding ex- 
pressions of his affections. Whatever might be the 
circumstances in which he was placed, his actions 
would be as pure and as holy as the affections of the 
heart from which they proceed. 

But still the natural man does not look within for the 
cause ; he looks without. When he has committed an 
act of fraud, violence, or falsehood, he does not turn 
his thoughts back upon himself,and search for the cause 
of the crime within himself; but says, "had I not been 
placed in those circumstances and tempted, I should 
not have committed the act." He looks not on the 
evil state of his own affections as the cause of the sin 
which he has committed, but the circumstances in which 
he was placed, and the external act, and not affection 
from which it proceeded, he regards as the sin itself. 
And the first language of repentance and contrition from 
such a one is, " lead as not into temptation ;" which, 
as understood by him, is equivalent to saying, So order 
the externa] circumstances and associates of my life, that 
1 shall not in future fall into sin. Thus the language, 
" lead us not into temptation" is adapted to his state — 
is expressive of the highest practical view that he at 
first takes of the subject. Those words, " lead us not 
into temptation," are the first spontaneous expression of 
a repenting mind in a state of simplicity — of sorrow for 



100 SERMONS ON THE 

sin and of prayer to the Lord for help to overcome it. 
Every view of the subject higher than this, would be 
above the state from which all men must commence a 
regenerate life. 

But those words, though merely apparent truth, are 
perfectly suited to the first incipient state of spiritual 
life in all men. And the words will be so qualified by 
each one as he advances, as to be suited to his state at 
every step of his progress. For as man advances in 
regenerate life, his understanding opens to see the ac- 
commodated sense in which they are used as addressed 
to such an incipient state of mind. 

Although such is the highest practical view which 
the unregenerate man first takes of the subject, yet he 
would not sincerely pray "lead us not into temptation" 
unless there was the beginning of a desire to be deliv- 
ered from evil. And by this form of words, which he 
is taught to use, he believes it is his duty to set his 
mind against all those external circumstances and asso- 
ciates, which he at first regards as the temptations, and 
the actual cause of his sins. While exercising this de- 
sire and looking to the Lord for help, he is in a state to 
receive it, and to be actually delivered from evil. But 
he gradually learns by experience that the evil was in 
himself; and neither in the Lord nor in the circum- 
stances, by which it was brought out and manifested. 
And he finally regards the circumstances, which, at first 
he thought the cause of his sins, merely as the means of 
bringing out and setting before him his real character — 
the true state of his affections, of which he was not con- 
scious until he saw it manifested in the external actions 
to which they prompted. And this leads us to explain, 



lord's prayer. 101 

Secondly — The nature and origin of Spiritual 
Temptations. 

The desire and the ability of men to understand spiri- 
tual truth, depends so much upon their own experience, 
that it is difficult for them to understand, and have clear 
conceptions of that which is much in advance of their 
experience. Hence arises the difficulty in presenting 
the subject of spiritual temptations in a manner to be 
universally understood. Few men at the present day 
have a sincere and practical belief in the spiritual doc- 
trines of revealed religion — a belief which leads to a 
conscientious observance of them in life ; and of course 
few are, to any considerable degree, regenerated and ren- 
dered spiritual. And man will not be regenerated with- 
out having passed through states of temptations, as the 
means of being delivered from evil. By temptations, 
howerer, we are not to understand any thing good in 
itself. They are always evil, and always caused by 
evil. But they are made the means of showing man 
his real state — of developing and of bringing out the 
real state of his internal affections and life, and of con- 
vincing him of the evil state of his will — of rendering 
him humble — of destroying his confidence in himself, 
and of teaching him the need in which he stands of 
salvation from the Lord. 

What are usually denominated temptations, at the 
present day, such as loss of friends, sickness or misfor- 
tunes, are of so external a character that they can scarce- 
ly be called temptations, in the sense in which that term 
is used in the New Church. But the states of anxiety 
which they occasion have some degree of resemblance 
to those occasioned by spiritual temptations ; and they 



102 SERMONS ON THE 

may, therefore, he regarded as the most ultimate or ex- 
ternal form in which they exist, as adapted to the pre- 
sent natural and gross state of the Church. 

If man really disbelieves in the existence of a God, 
and in the truth of the revealed Word, he cannot be 
tempted at all. Neither can he have any internal prin- 
ciple to restrain and govern him. Civil law — the dread 
of its punishment, and that reputation for honesty and 
fair-dealing in society, which his self-interest compels 
him to maintain, are the only restraints upon his life 
and conduct. These may operate to give to his external 
life and conduct in the world, an appearance of virtue 
and honesty, which are not real. Remove these ex- 
ternal restraints — place him, where neither the fear of 
civil law, nor a regard for his reputation or his interest 
governs and restrains him, and he will be at once de- 
luged with the flood of his depraved passions and lusts. 
And without internal restraint or remorse, he will be 
driven, by the fury of his passions, into all excesses of 
sensuality, injustice, outrage, and violence. 

Spiritual temptations cannot exist unless a conscience 
has been first formed. The conscience is formed by 
what man has been taught, has believed and acknow- 
ledged to be true, respecting the Lord, and the relation 
in which man stands to Him. And these are the sub- 
jects of revealed religion. If he has been taught, be- 
lieved, and acknowledged the true doctrines of faith upon 
these subjects, he will have an enlightened conscience 
formed by the doctrines of religion, which he has been 
taught and has believed. If he has not been taught the 
truth, he will either have no conscience, or a false and un- 
enlightened conscience. And his conscience will always 



lord's prayer. 103 

correspond to the principles and doctrines of faith, which 
he does in heart believe, and acknowledge to be true. 
Hence, the more clearly man is enlightened in the truth, 
if he does sincerely believe and acknowledge it to be 
true, the more powerful must be the restraint of his 
conscience over his life and conduct. If he has been 
principled in a true faith in the character and attributes 
of the Lord, and in the spiritual doctrines of religion, 
as extending to the regulation of every word and act 
of life, according to the perfect order of truth, and from 
sincere love to the Lord and good-will towards man — 
if such be really the faith which he in heart acknow- 
ledges, he will have a conscience to restrain and govern 
him — he will have a law written on the living tablet 
of the heart — a law which he cannot violate without 
remorse. And this conscience would govern him 
though all external restraints were removed. 

On the other hand, though he may believe in His ex- 
istence, yet if he has no definite faith in the true cha- 
racter and attributes of the Lord, and believes that the 
duties of religion extend only to an external profession 
of his faith, to the performance of mere external rites 
and ceremonies of worship ; like the Jew or the formal 
Christian, he will be conscientious in discharging all the 
mere external duties and ceremonies of religious wor- 
ship ; he will punctiliously observe religious meetings, 
prayers, fastings, and all the external ordinances of the 
Church ; but in the u weightier matters of the law — in 
judgment and mercy," — in a good life, he will have no 
conscience. His conscience will govern him in all his 
religious devotions ; his self-interest, in his life and inter- 
course with the world. Here he will commit acts of 



104 SERMONS ON THE 

fraud, injustice and crime, and feel no remorse of con- 
science. 

Spiritual temptations, therefore, are combats in the 
mind, between an enlightened conscience and what is op- 
posed to it. The conscience is the same as the internal — 
an enlightened conscience is the same as the spiritual 
man. It is the form which the truth that he believes and 
acknowledges, is in effort to give to his mind — to his 
whole life. The body, including all the natural affections, 
animal passions and appetites, is the external — the na- 
tural man. This is, by inheritance, in a disordered or 
depraved state. The truths of religion which form an 
enlightened conscience, are in continued effort to over- 
come this depravity, and to regenerate, and to restore 
order to the natural man. The opposition to the truth, 
or the re-action against the conscience as formed by the 
truth, from the natural man, occasions the struggle which 
is called spiritual temptation. And the continuance of 
this struggle, or of this internal conflict for victory be- 
tween the internal and the external man, is called the 
Christian's warfare. If the internal man gains the vic- 
tory ; in other words, if man always acts conscientiously, 
learns to deny himself, and to yield obedience to the 
dictates of conscience as formed by truth, he becomes 
a regenerate and a spiritual man. The natural man is 
then subdued. In the language of Paul " he puts off 
the old man with his deeds, and puts on the new man," 
and the life which he lives, is a life conformed to the 
truth, as it is continually revealed to his understanding, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. The natural man 
then becomes the servant of the spiritual — the true me- 
dium, by which, without resistance, the truth becomes 



lord's prayer. 105 

manifested and brought out into all the external rela- 
tions of iife. 

But on the other hand, if the natural man gains the 
victory, or if the dictates of conscience, and the continual 
endeavours of the internal man are successfully resisted 
by the natural man, the life of man in the world will 
become merely natural. It will be a manifestation only 
in word and act of the disordered affections and desires 
of the natural man, under the dominion of the love of 
self 'and the world. And fijiaUy, without any acknow- 
ledgment of the Lord, or without any internal restraint 
from conscience, he will become not only natural, but 
sensual and devilish. 

The mere natural and selfish man, therefore, under- 
goes no spiritual temptations — he daily commits sin 
and crime, but feels no remorse of conscience. One form 
of self-love operates as a check upon another, so as to 
keep him to some degree in the external order of life. 
His cares and anxieties, however, are all external. It 
is not the sin or the crime, but the discovery of it, that 
troubles him — not the compunction of conscience, but 
the fear of punishment. " But woe to them that are at 
ease in Zion !" Though not troubled like other men, 
yet their end is dark and leads to hell. Though "pride 
encompasseth them as a chain, violence covereth them 
as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness : and 
they have more than heart could wish," — "yet they 
stand on slippery places. — As a dream when one 
awaketh, so, Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt 
despise their image." 

Temptations, then, are the internal conflict for su- 
premacy between the internal and the external man — 



106 SERMONS ON THE 

between the truth which man does internally believe 
and acknowledge, and the depraved affections and de- 
sires of the natural man. And this leads us to explain, 

Thirdly — The effect and the use of Spiritual 
Temptations, 

The end of the Lord in suffering man to be tempted, 
is, that he may overcome and subdue the natural man, 
and render the natural a true medium, or a true exter- 
nal form of the spiritual. That as far as spiritual af- 
fections exist in the will, or a knowledge of spiritual 
truth in the understanding, they may be brought out 
without opposition or concealment, into the words and 
acts of life. 

The most external forms of temptations, are those 
occasioned by external afflictions, losses, and disap- 
pointments, by which man, while in the natural state, 
is first brought to serious reflections on his spiritual 
condition. When by misfortune, sickness, or the loss 
of friends, the ruling affections of his life are, for a time, 
brought into a more humble and quiescent state, and 
his conscience is awakened, he then recalls the truth 
which has been stored up in his mind. He reflects on 
the folly and the disorder of the life he has been living 
in the world. His understanding is elevated to see the 
life of order that he should live; and he feels and ac- 
knowledges the importance of acting from higher and 
better affections. His mind opens to see something of 
the purity, the beauty, and the happiness of a truly re- 
ligious life. And he is sensible that he has been throw- 
ing away his past life, and famishing with spiritual 
hunger. And he now resolves to return to his father's 
house as a repenting child. 



lord's prayer. ]07 

But soon his usual health returns, or time closes the 
wound of affliction, which occasioned this state of mind, 
and he goes again into the world. The scene, how- 
ever, through which he has passed, has an important 
influence upon his future life. He either becomes bet- 
ter or worse. He either becomes more hardened, sel- 
fish and worldly than before, and his last state is worse 
than the first ; or else his feelings remain to some de- 
gree softened, and he becomes more conscientious, and 
is in effort to live a better life — to deny himself, and to 
obey the truth. The apparent change may not at 
first be great, still it may be real — an increased desire 
and a new resolution to live a conscientious and a good 
life. If he perseveres, he finds that the work was only 
began — that a separation has only begun to take place 
between the light and the darkness in his mind, and that 
the period of his regeneration will consist of many days 
and nights, before the Lord can cease from his labours, 
and before he comes into a state to enjoy the sabbath 
of rest. Yet he may be sincere, and in effort to over- 
come opposition and obey the truth. 

But be does not know, he cannot yet realize, how 
great is the work to be done ; and how strong the op- 
position with which the truth must contend. He does 
not yet know his own state — how deep the principle of 
selfishness is seated within him ; how disordered and 
gross are the natural affections of his life ; and he never 
can be made to know it, except by spiritual temptations. 
He must be led about and instructed in the wilderness 
of the world. He must be placed in circumstances in 
which the evils within him will be awakened, and be 
left in a state of freedom, so that they will be manifest- 



108 SERMONS ON THE 

ed, and shown to him in the external actions which 
they prompt him to perform. And this is the work of 
temptations, to show man his real state, and to render 
him so sensibly affected by it, that he becomes humble, 
and looks to the Lord for strength to overcome and be 
saved from sin, 

The Lord does not tempt man ; on the contrary, he 
endeavours to withhold man from temptations so far as 
man can be withheld in freedom. But as long as the 
affections of his life are selfish and depraved, he cannot 
freely be withheld from exercising them. He is therefore 
while in freedom suffered to act from them, and the 
Lord in his providence so overrules the course of his 
life, that circumstances and associates may draw out 
and manifest the evils within, and set them forth in 
bold relief in the words and actions to which they 
prompt ; so that man may know himself, by seeing the 
real affections of his life embodied forth in the words 
and actions to which they prompt. Then may he be 
sensible of them — repent, and endeavour to he deliver- 
ed from their influence. 

Often it is not till he has suffered himself to be 
drawn on headlong by his selfish and depraved affec- 
tions into such circumstances, and among such associ- 
ates, that he actually falls into gross sins, for which he 
feels the smartings of conscious guilt, that the tears of 
repentance first begin to flow ; and he becomes so sen- 
sible of his real state that the Lord can become his 
Saviour. It is only so far as man sees and feels the 
burdens of his sins, is humble, and looks to the Lord 
for deliverance from the affections in which they origi- 
nate, that the Lord can become his Saviour from sin. 



lord's prayer. 109 

JMan must first be sensible of his evil state of affec- 
tions, be humbled to repentance, and ask, saying, "who 
shall deliver me from this body of death/' before he 
can give thanks for " the victory through Jesus Christ 
our Lord." 

It is only so far as man is internally evil — is governed 
by sinful and depraved affections, that external circum- 
stances or associates can prove a snare and betray him 
into sin. Were his affections spiritual and his soul staid 
in the Lord, circumstances or associates could have no 
power over him. "Though a host of wicked men or 
devils should encamp against him, in the name of the 
Lord would he destroy him." It is the evil only with- 
in himself, which renders him the passive slave of cir- 
cumstances and associates. These operate only as a 
means to bring out the evil, and to show it in such man- 
ner that he may repent of and forsake it. 

Every successive step in the progress of regenera- 
tion, is taken by having the conscience more and more 
enlightened by the truth, and thus becoming a more 
reproving judge, not merely of our external words and 
actions in life, but of the thoughts and affections of the 
mind. 

When the work of regeneration first begins, the con 
science is often comparatively unenlightened and weak, 
and man can endure only slight temptations. The Lord 
therefore endeavours to withhold him from them be 
yond his strength to bear. He at first can fight against 
his gross external sins, and endeavour to keep his con- 
science clear of actual falsehood and external acts of 
injustice in his daily intercourse with the world. Here 
he may have conflicts, be often tempted beyond his 

10 



110 SERMONS ON THE 

strength, he may sin, repent, and resolve to reform. 
As conscience becomes more enlightened, he is able to 
endure temptations still more internal and severe. He 
learns by his experience that the law of God is "exceed- 
ingly broad/' — that it extends to the thoughts and af- 
fections of the mind — that hatred is murder — covet- 
ousness theft — and that lust is adultery. He now be- 
gins to make a matter of conscience, not merely of words 
and actions, but of the thoughts and affections of the 
heart. And he finds that his external life, though fair 
and irreproachable in the world, may spring not from a 
pure and wholesome fountain. That self-love prompts 
or aids in the performance of many acts that have the 
appearance of being from disinterested and benevolent 
affections; that'the selfish hope of reward, or the fear of 
punishment, pride, or interest, are continually prompt- 
ing or entering into all the actions of his life ; and he 
labours now to reform not the external actions of his 
life, so much as the motives and the affections from 
which they proceed. 

And as he is able to endure it, he is successively let 
into states to see more and more of the real character 
of his own life. And with all who can be regenerated, 
the Lord will so overrule in the course of his providence, 
that there shall remain " nothing covered which shall 
not be revealed ; or hid which shall not be known" 
that they may know themselves — resist their evils, and 
look to him to be saved from them. And the farther 
man advances in the regenerate life, the more internal 
and severe will be the conflicts. The Lord indeed 
comes to "give peace unto his people," but his "peace" 
cannot be received till after the conflicts of warfare are 



lord's prayer. Ill 

ended. The truth must first come and cause tempta- 
tions and awaken opposition. It must set a man at vari- 
ance with his father (the ruling love of his life,) and teach 
him that his "foes are they of his own household." That 
to become a disciple of the truth, he must successively 
renounce and give up all he loves and lives for. " For 
he that taketh not his cross,and followethafter me, is not 
worthy of me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it, 
and he that loseth his life, for my sake, shall find it." 

These states of spiritual temptation are always at the 
time attended with mental anguish and despondency, 
and doubt as to the final issue — and sometimes even 
with that of despair, as expressed in the words, " My 
God, why hast thou forsaken me." But they are ever 
followed by corresponding states of internal joy, eleva- 
tion, and peace in the affections of the soul. And the 
final end of the combats of the Christian warfare is 
"peace and assurance for ever." " Peace I leave with 
you, my peace I give unto you ; let not your heart be 
troubled, neither let it be afraid." 

Such is the nature, effect and use of temptations ; or 
the combats of the Christian warfare. And when we 
pray, " lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from 
evil" our prayers should be for strength to overcome 
in times of temptation, and that we may be delivered 
from the evil within, which is the cause of all the temp- 
tations we suffer. Our prayer is answered, when we 
are rendered so sensible of our evils, and our own weak- 
ness, that we learn to distrust ourselves, and steadfastly 
look to the Lord for salvation. And when in an hum- 
ble and teachable state of mind we receive and obey his 
words; and ceasing to rely in our own strength, we 



112 SERMONS ON THE 

"stand still and see the salvation" which he works for 
all that trust in him. Then circumstances or associates 
can no longer have dominion over the mind ; but man 
can live above the world while in it, and trample the 
evil under his feet. He is free from its power, and 
sensible by whose strength he has been delivered. He 
ascribes to Him " the kingdom, and the power, and the 
glory." 



lord's prayer. 113 



nranti %M'\ 



Matthew vi. 13. 

« For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen." 

In the preceding discourse on the words " lead us 
not into temptation ; but deliver us from evil," after 
endeavouring to illustrate the words of the text, we 
attempted to explain the nature and the use of spiritual 
temptations. 

According to the doctrine advanced, spiritual temp- 
tations are the struggle between the internal man, after 
having been enlightened and formed by spiritual truth, 
and the natural man which is opposed to it. The effect 
of them is, to render man sensible of his real state and 
character — to manifest and show to him the internal 
affections from which his actions proceed, in such a 
manner as to humble his pride, and to cause him to 
abandon the hope of salvation in his own strength. He 
thus comes into a state to be delivered from evil, by 
freely giving up the affections of his own hereditary 
life, and by receiving renewed life from the Lord. 

The ruling love of man is by inheritance depraved. 
He is not in a state to acknowledge and worship the 
Lord as the source of life, but has become " as God, 
knowing good and evil." He is in a state directly 

10* 



114 SERMONS ON THE 

opposed to that for which he is here taught to pray. 
He does not feel his dependence, but ascribes to him- 
self the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. The 
use of temptations is, to show him his real state, to 
make him feel his weakness, to destroy his self-reliance, 
and thus to render him sensible of his dependence on 
the Lord. 

After the sons of Israel, the representative church, 
had been delivered from Egypt, and had received the 
law at mount Sinai, they were not prepared to enter 
immediately into the promised land. But they were 
forty years led about in the wilderness, in order to be 
tempted and proved. All their old men who came out 
of Egypt, died in the wilderness, before they were 
suffered to enter the land of Canaan. This was done 
to represent the states of temptation through which it 
is necessary for man to pass, before he can be divested 
of his evils — before he will cease to rely on himself, 
and live under a sense of his dependence on the Lord. 
He must be rendered sensible that it is not by his own 
power and the might of his own arm, that he can be 
delivered. 

As the representative church was led about forty 
years in the wilderness, after receiving the law at mount 
Sinai, was daily fed with manna, and drank water from 
the rock, that they might be humbled, and proved, and 
that the Lord might do them good at the last ; lest 
they should in their pride say, when in the enjoyment 
of the promised land, "ray power and the might of 
mine own arm, have gotten me this wealth ;" so must 
man, who is being regenerated, be led about and tempted 
and proved in order that he may be humbled, and 



lord's prayer. 115 

vastated of his evils. He must be rendered sensible 
that he is evil, and under the dominion of it He must 
be brought into a state to feel, and to see that his de- 
liverance and his salvation from it, can come only from 
the Lord, before he will ascribe to him u the kingdom 
and the power and the glory." 

The kingdom, in the spiritual sense, as we have 
shown, signifies the Truth — the laws of Divine Order, 
which are to be obeyed. The truth when received and 
obeyed, forms the kingdom of heaven in the mind. 

The power signifies that dominion over evil, and de- 
liverance from it, which comes by means of the truth. 
All power over evil comes from the opposite good, and 
originates in the Lord as the source. The truth in 
which man is principled, and which forms his con- 
science, is only the medium by which power over evil 
is manifested and put forth. Simply a knowledge of 
truth has no power to overcome evil in ourselves or in 
others. The power of truth over evil, originates in that 
affection for the truth which the Lord inspires into the 
will. The truth in which man is principled, and which 
is the law of the Divine kingdom, is first taught to man 
externally by others, who have been previously in- 
structed, or illuminated by revelation to teach. The 
affection for the truth, or that love in the will which 
gives it power, comes by an internal way — it is in- 
spired from the Lord, by spiritual mediums directly in- 
to the will. It is this affection in will, or the affection 
which the Lord is always in effort to cause man to re- 
ceive internally ', that inclines him to yield obedience 
to the truth, which he is taught to believe. And it is 
the effort of this internal affection to become united to 



116 SERMONS ON THE 

the truth, perceived in the understanding, to give it 
power over evil. Apart from this affection in the will, 
the mere knowledge of truth has no power over evil. 
And those who are confirmed in evil, may elevate their 
understanding for a time above the state of their wills, 
so as to perceive the truth clearly, yet the truth does 
not give them power over evil, because their wills are 
closed up against that affection for it, in which its power 
originates. 

However depraved man may be by inheritance, or 
however low down the work of his regeneration must 
commence, the Lord in his providence provides means 
by which it may be effected. He provides that the 
truth shall come adapted to its states externally, and 
that an affection for the truth corresponding to the de- 
gree in which it can be perceived and received, shall 
be inspired into the will internally. Or rather, he pro- 
vides that the internal spiritual mediums by which the 
affections of love can flow into the will, shall always be 
equal, and correspond to the external mediums by 
which a knowledge of truth is imparted to the under- 
standing. But neither the knowledge of truth, which 
is externally received, without this internal affection 
for it, nor this internal affection for it, with the external 
reception of the truth, can alone give him dominion 
over evil. The power over evil is the result of the in- 
ternal affections going forth to meet, and to be conjoined 
to the truth. So far as the understanding is enlightened 
to see the truth, the Lord, by spiritual mediums, suited 
to the state, endeavours to inspire an affection for the 
truth, which is first seen in effort to obey it. And if it 
is obeyed, the affection is seen manifested in the love 



lord's prayer. 117 

of obeying — in efforts to overcome all opposition to it — 
till it is fully and heartily obeyed, and becomes con- 
joined to the affections of the will. Now it is the effort 
of this inmost affection, which the Lord is always en- 
deavouring to impart, to become united to the truth, 
which gives to the truth power over evil. The truth, 
the "kingdom," comes externally, or is presented 
through the understanding, as the law or rule of action 
to be obeyed ; the power comes internally in the will, 
it is the affection inspired, which gives to the truth the 
dominion over evil. 

The glory here signifies praise for deliverance from 
evil. Thus, by the words " thine is the kingdom," we 
are taught to acknowledge the Lord as the source of the 
truth. No matter by what medium the truth is taught ; 
we are equally to acknowledge him as its source, and 
his providence in providing mediums by which it may 
be adapted to our state. As the eye, though an organ 
perfectly suited to receive the light, cannot see of it- 
self, but requires the light first to enter it, and to be 
tempered in a manner suited to its state and capacity ; 
so neither can the human understanding originate the 
thoughts and perceptions of Divine Wisdom, or per- 
ceive truth till it is first presented ; and the mediums 
by which it is taught, must be always such as are 
adapted to its state and capacity. But in all states is 
the Lord to be acknowledged as its source, while those 
objects and persons by whom it is taught, are com- 
paratively as the natural objects on the earth, which by 
reflection, temper the light of the sun in a manner suited 
to the state of the eye to receive it. And realizing the 
Lord to be the source, and man only the recipient of the 



118 SERMONS ON THE 

truth, we are to make this acknowledgment, expressed 
in the words, " thine is the kingdom." 

So also of the power, the Lord is equally the source. 
Those affections of love that come from within, which 
are inspired into the will, and which give to the truth 
power over the evils of the natural man, are from the 
Lord as their source. Within the inmost recesses of the 
mind, as in the holy of holies of the representative tem- 
ple, he resides. There, he is endeavouring to inspire 
the affections of his own Divine Love, and to kindle a 
flame which shall send forth his warmth through all 
the regions of the mind, till they expand and come 
forth into, and fill the forms of truth, which, coming 
from without, they meet in the understanding. And 
when united, these affections and perceptions of truth 
go forth into words, actions and life, like the union of 
light and heat in the vernal beams of the sun, causing 
renovated life and joy over the face of nature. But 
when order, beauty, and happiness are seen to arise and 
spring forth, as the consequence of such a reception of 
the spiritual light and heat of the spiritual sun, the as- 
cription of praise is to be given " not unto us, Lord, 
not unto us, but to thy name be the glory for thy mercy 
and thy truth's sake." 

No state is so dangerous, and none so absolutely 
hopeless, as that in which we receive and appropriate 
the truths of Divine revelation, as the discoveries of our 
own reason — in which we study and read in secret the 
doctrines of the Church, and come forth clothed in 
the garment of revealed truth, stolen from the treasury 
of the Lord, as if they were the works of our own 
hands — in which we seize upon those great and sublime 



lord's prayer. 119 

truths of religion, and of spiritual life, which astonish 
the minds of men by their splendour, and come forth 
with them to the world, merely for effect, and to draw 
forth the applause and the glory of men, at this display 
of our own talents — in which we do not acknowledge 
the Lord, and those by whom he has spoken, as the 
source of, and as the mediums of the truth which we 
receive, but ascribe it to ourselves, and by it seek 
our glory. It is thus that we become, in our estimation, 
" as gods, knowing good and evil." We are claiming 
to ourselves from others, that glory which we should 
be only humble mediums of leading them to ascribe 
to the Lord. This is now the prevailing evil, where 
the Christian Church has been established, which is 
now coming to its end, by the rejection of the Lord's 
divinity. Instead of day, it is now becoming night. 
Instead of the Lord, as the sun in the heavens, and as 
the light of the world, there is now only the glimmering 
light of the stars, or of the truths of the Church, acknow- 
ledged only as the discoveries of human reason, by an 
innumerable multitude of leaders and teachers in religion, 
regarded as the separate sources of what they teach 
and as having different degrees of glory. But before 
the Church of the New Jerusalem can descend, so that 
the tabernacle of God can be with men, "the lofti- 
ness of men must be bow^d down, and the haughti- 
ness of men must be made low : and the Lord alone, 
must be exalted in that day." The sign of the Son 
of Man must be seen coming in the clouds of heaven- 
with power and glory ; that is, the Lord must be seen 
and acknowledged in the Word, and the Word to be 
from Him, who is the light of the world — a medium 



120 SERMONS ON THE 

by which the brightness of spiritual truth is veiled 
and accommodated to our sight, but which grows clear 
and transparent, as we rise in our state of affections, 
and are prepared to receive Him in the true glory of 
his character. 

" For ever/' literally signifies all time— spiritually 
all states. What all time is to the natural world, all 
states are to the spiritual world. The work of our 
regeneration, and deliverance from evil is to be ascribed 
to the Lord from beginning to end. In all its succes- 
sive states and changes, is man dependent on the 
same power to sustain and carry forward which was 
first necessary to begin the work ; and the providence of 
the Lord, is to be acknowledged in all. At the beginning, 
during the states already passed through, at the present 
time, and for all that is yet before us, are we equally 
dependent on the same sustaining and life-giving power. 
Day by day we must appropriate our daily bread, and 
enjoy the light and warmth of the spiritual sun, but 
live in the acknowledgment of the source whence they 
come. In all successive states, must we claim no- 
thing to ourselves ; but acknowledge the truth, that all 
that is good comes to us from above, and that it is 
only through the Word, which the Lord has spoken unto 
us, that we are made clean. " And as the branch 
cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, 
no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, 
ye are the branches : he that abideth in me, and I in 
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without 
me, ye can do nothing." 

"Amen," is a Hebrew word which signifies truth. 
The word frequently occurs in the Gospels, and in the 



lord's prayer. 121 

Apocalypse; but it is generally translated by the adverb 
verily ', as "verily, verily, I say unto you." The word 
is also several times applied as a proper name to the 
Lord, as in the instance, " these things saith the Amen, 
the faithful and true witness." The word is often used 
as a solemn form of affirming the truth of what has 
been spoken. In this sense it is used at the close of the 
several books of the New Testament, and at the close 
of the Lord's prayer. 

When doctrines are taught which are in advance of 
the state of man to comprehend, he can receive them 
only on the authority of one whom he acknowledges as 
a true witness, or as teaching that which he knows to 
be true. 

The doctrines and precepts taught by the Lord, are 
to be received, not because man is able at first to com- 
prehend them fully, but on the sanction of his authority, 
and because he gave evidence of possessing divine wis- 
dom and power. The works that he did in his Father's 
name bore witness of him. The highest evidence, there- 
fore, which we can receive of the truth of that which 
we are not now able to comprehend, is the Lord's af- 
firmation of its truth, who gave evidence of his Divine 
mission, by the works which he wrought. 

As used at the close of the Lord's prayer, the Amen 
is a solemn asseveration of its truth. It is equivalent 
to the declaration that this is truths from one who gives 
evidence of Divine authority. When we first learn this 
form of prayer in childhood, we receive it, as we do all 
religious instruction, on the authority of our parents or 
teachers, and because its truth is confirmed by the 
weight of their authority and influence. As we ad- 

11 



122 SERMONS ON THE 

vance to the age of rationality and freedom, we learn 
to receive it on the authority of the Lord, and because 
we rationally acknowledge him as a Divine Teacher. 
But as we begin to advance in spiritual life, the under- 
standing opens to see the spiritual truth contained in 
these words — that these words of the Lord " are spirit 
and that they are life." And an internal perception of 
the truth itself, at last becomes the only confirmation 
of their truth which we require, or which we could re- 
ceive. This internal perception and feeling sense of 
the truth, finally becomes the faithful and the true wit- 
ness of the sentiment which flows into, and fills the con- 
firming — " xlmen." 

Thus the form of prayer, which begins with the ac- 
knowledgment of the Lord as " Our Father who art in 
the heavens," ends in his glorification — in this ascription 
of praise, "thine is the kingdom, and the power, and 
the glory, for ever, Amen." 

The attainment of this state of mind, is the end of all 
prayer. The order of its gradual attainment may be 
successively traced, from the first acknowledgment of 
the Lord as "Our Father who art in the heavens;" 
from this acknowledgment of the Lord to the worship 
of him — " hallowed be thy name ;" from worship to a 
state of submission and obedience to the truth — " thy 
kingdom come;" from a state of submission and obe- 
dience to the truth to that of the free exercise of love — 
" thy will be done as in heaven, so also upon the earth;" 
from the free exercise of the affections of love, and an 
effort to do the will of the Lord on earth, as it is done in 
heaven, to a sense of our continual dependence on his 
divine providence — " give us this day our daily bread;" 



lord's prayer. 123 

from this sense of our dependence to the exercise of the 
laws of divine benevolence in their forgiving operation 
— "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;" 
from a state to exercise forgiveness and mercy towards 
our enemies, to the state of power and victory over 
temptations, and deliverance from evil — •" lead us not 
into temptation, but deliver us from evil ; to which suc- 
ceeds that state of spiritual peace signified by the sab- 
bath of rest, in which the mind has a more full sense of 
its dependence, and feels that internal peace and joy in 
the confidence of Divine protection, from which arises 
this ascription of praise or glorification to the Lord — 
" thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
for ever. Amen." 



124 SERMONS ON THE 



nmmi %$. 



Matthew vi. 9-— 13. 

" After this manner therefore pray ye : — Our Father who art in the hea- 
vens, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as 
in heaven, so also upon the earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And 
forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into 
temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the 
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." 

Having directed your attention to the several peti- 
tions included in the Lord's Prayer, in the preceding 
series of discourses, we shall close the general subject 
with the following remarks on the Efficacy, the Duty, 
and the Forms of Prayer. 

First — On the efficacy and the duty of Prayer. 

However false and erroneous the sentiments which 
men entertain respecting the character of the Lord, 
prayer in some form of acknowledgment is universal. 

Man is a being of feeble strength and of limited ca- 
pacities, and he is often rendered sensible of his weak- 
ness, and of his dependence. Though when in health 
and prosperity, he may be thoughtless and self-relying, 
yet when in danger and affliction he becomes serious 
and prayerful. This is true of all men, the evil as well 
as the good, of the profane as well as the pious ; of the 
professed atheist, as well as the humble Christian. The 
nature and the form of their prayers, however, differ as 
widely as their states of affection, or as their concep- 
tions of the Being addressed. 



lord's prayer. 125 

But although prayer in some form is universal, and a 
duty taught and insisted on, in all sects of religion, yet 
the following plausible objections are often made to its 
efficacy, and alleged as an excuse for neglecting it as a 
duty. 

The Lord, it is said, is good — infinite in goodness. 
He does not therefore need the prayers of men to move 
him, for He is always ready to do them good. He is 
also wise — infinite in wisdom, he therefore knows all 
the circumstances of man, better than man can know 
them ; He knows what we stand in need of before we 
ask Him. How, then, can prayer affect him, who is 
always ready, and who knows best what to bestow, 
and when to bestow it ? Is it not rather the duty of 
man to acquiesce patiently in the Divine will ; and 
without presuming to pray, to receive with gratitude 
whatever he sees best to bestow upon us ? 

Though we were unable to answer these objections, 
or to see any connection between prayer and the re- 
ception of blessings in answer to prayer, yet the senti- 
ment, that prayer is a duty, is so universally impressed 
on the mind, and the fact that it is so much insisted on 
in all forms of religion, w r ould lead us to believe that 
there is a connection which we do not comprehend. 

But if this connection were involved in a perfect 
mystery, yet no spiritual Christian could doubt of the 
duty or of the efficacy of prayer, when he reflects on 
the example, and on the precepts of the Lord. How 
often and how fervently he prayed, while in the state 
of his humiliation; and how often he taught and en- 
forced the same duty on his disciples. 

But in reply to the objections, we answer, that the 
* 11* 



126 SERMONS ON THE 

efficacy of prayer does not consist in effecting any 
change in the disposition of the Lord towards man, or 
in adding to his knowledge respecting man. But its 
efficacy consists in effecting a change in man himself, 
and hence is the ground of the duty. 

Though prayer can produce no change in the dispo- 
sition of the Lord, nor add to the amount of his know- 
ledge respecting our wants, yet it is not unavailing. 

As a ship is drawn to land, by the exertions of those 
within the sh'p, on a cable fastened to the shore, so the 
effect of true prayer, when rightly directed, will be, not 
to draw the Lord down to our state, to do our will, 
but, on the contrary, to elevate us to him, and inspire 
us with a desire to do his will. 

The Lord is, indeed, always good, always ready to 
bestow his blessings. And he always does bestow what 
he sees best for man to receive. But the kind as well 
as the degree of the blessings which he bestows de- 
pends entirely on the state in which they are received. 
That which would be a blessing to man in one state of 
mind, would prove a curse to him in a another. 

The goodness of the Lord is always enlightened and 
directed by his wisdom, and his blessings are ever suited 
to the states of those who receive them. Every wise 
parent endeavours to deal with his children on the same 
principle. He gives or withholds, shows his approbation, 
or administers reproof, according to the state and the 
disposition of the child. Though the manner of ex- 
pressing his love be different, yet whether he gives or 
withholds, rewards or punishes, he has equally in view 
the good of the child. 

The efficacy of true prayer, consists not in producing 



lord's prayer. 127 

any change in the Lord, but in bringing man into a 
right state to receive from the Lord. 

Man was first created by the Lord, and has always 
been sustained by him. For the continuance of his life 
he is momentarily dependent. It is the Divine Provi- 
dence which supplies his daily bread, and all the enjoy- 
ments of life. Such is the truth. But how imperfectly 
does man realize this truth ! How unmindful of the 
Lord does he live ! How unthankful for his mercies ! 
How inwrought into his very soul is the practical con- 
viction, that he lives of himself, independent of the Lord ! 
And that he is " as God knowing good and evil !" 

Now the efficacy of true prayer consists in removing 
this fatal delusion from the understanding, and in eradi- 
cating the evil affection from which it springs from the 
heart. The design of prayer is to bring man in a state 
to see and to acknowledge his dependence on the Lord, 
as his " Father in the heavens," — to call into exercise 
the affections of reverence and of filial love. Instead 
of producing a change in the character of the Lord, it 
is designed to change his own character. Instead of 
adding to the knowledge of the Lord respecting his 
wants, it is designed to bring his affections into such a 
state, that his understanding will open to comprehend 
the laws of Divine Wisdom, and to perceive how the 
Divine blessings are always imparted, in accommoda- 
tion to the states of those who receive them. In a word, 
the design of prayer is to bring man into such a state of 
reception, that the Lord may not be compelled to with- 
hold from him any good. Such is the design, and such 
the efficacy of true prayer. And these are the reasons by 
which we confirm the obligation to regard prayer as a 
duty. 



128 SERMONS ON THE 

Secondly — On the forms of prayer. 

If such be the acknowledged design of prayer, and 
such its efficacy, it is obvious that, thatybrra of prayer 
is best, which is best adapted to render man most sen- 
sible of his dependence, and to produce the most hum- 
ble acknowledgment of the Lord. As the form which 
each one will choose to adopt, depends so much on the 
state of his affections and his faith, no definite form can 
be prescribed, which will be universally suited to every 
state. We must therefore allow each one to adopt in 
freedom, that form which appears best suited to his ex- 
isting state, and to change the form, with the changes 
which take place in the mind. If left in a state of free- 
dom, the internal form will vary and change with the 
internal changes of state. The form will become more 
and more natural and simple, as the mind advances in 
spiritual life. 

The general subject of the forms of prayer, leads us 
to speak of the language — the posture — the occasions 
— and the frequency of prayer. 

On the language of prayer. 

If our prayers are sincere, the language of them will 
correspond truly to the affections of the mind. When in 
a merely natural and selfish state of affections, and under 
the influence of a false faith in the character of the 
Lord, our affections and thoughts will flow forth and 
become manifested in corresponding words. When 
und^r a mistaken faith in the character of the Lord, and 
actuated by merely natural affections, we shall think 
more of this world, than the attainment of heavenly 
order in our life ; our prayer will, consequently, be like 
our minds, of the earth — earthy. They will correspond 



lord's prayer. 129 

to the idea which we form of the Being to whom they 
are addressed. If we think of him as such a one as our- 
selves, and approach him under this idea, our prayers 
will consist of wordy and affected expressions of our hu- 
mility, of servile petitions for the pardon of our sins, and 
of selfish desires for temporal blessings. Our prayers, in 
this state, will be loud and long. They will appear to be 
made before men, rather than addressed to the Lord. 
Though full of confessions of sin, and expressions of hu- 
mility, they will proceed from a disposition to dictate, 
to prescribe, and to particularize to infinite Wisdom 
what we think best, rather than from a state which 
prompts us to say with filial confidence, " Father, not 
my will, but thine be done." 

But as we advance in regenerate life, and come into 
the exercise of spiritual affections, and receive a more 
enlightened faith in the character of the Lord, and of our 
relation to him, the language of prayer will undergo a 
corresponding change. If left free, the language used 
in prayer will always be indicative of our state. As re- 
generation advances, our prayers will be less wordy, 
but more feeling and sincere. Those long confessions 
of sin, those fervent intreaties for pardon and for tem- 
poral blessings will pass away, as the natural affections 
from which they proceed are overcome. And as we 
come into the exercise of spiritual affections, and under 
the influence of a more enlightened faith, we shall be 
affected with deeper reverence, as we bow before the 
Lord in devotion. When we can realize him to be a 
Spirit, we shall also feel that he is to be worshipped "in 
spirit and in truth." 

Our worship may indeed be sincere and elevating, 
though silent and unattended with any outward form of 



130 SERMONS ON THE 

words to give it expression. Yet our affections always 
suggest corresponding thoughts, which, when in free- 
dom, do almost involuntarily flow out into external 
words, and thus appear in a manifested external form. 
Our affections may also be awakened, called forth, and 
assisted by the use of external forms, which will also 
enlighten and direct them. And if in this state, we feel 
the need of words to give expression to the affections, 
or to direct and enlighten them, and look up to the 
Lord, saying, " Lord, teach us to pray," we receive his 
instructions. 

" When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypo- 
crites ; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, 
and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen 
of men. Verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. 
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and 
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which 
is in secret ; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall 
reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain 
repetitions as the heathen do : for they think that they 
shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye 
therefore like unto them : for your Father knoweth 
what things ye have need of before ye ask him. After 
this manner therefore pray ye :" 

" Our Father who art in the heavens." With the filial 
confidence of children we are taught to draw near and 
to acknowledge the Lord as our Father. And as his cha- 
racter opens upon the mind, and we feel his goodness, 
and perceive his wisdom, the affection of reverence is di- 
rected to flow forth into the words, " Hallowed be thy 
name." The sentiment of reverence, when enlightened 
by the knowledge of his true character, prompts to that 
state of submission and obedience to the truth, for which 



lord's prayer. 131 

we are taught to pray in the words, " Thy kingdom 
come." It is the effort of the Lord that we not merely 
live in a state of submission and obedience to the truth, 
as the law of his kingdom, but that we may also act 
from the spontaneous impulses of affection and love ; 
and that these affections may be brought out fully and 
freely into external form and life in the present world. 
And for this state we are taught to pray in the words, 
" Thy will be done as in heaven, so also upon the earth." 
This state of desire to do the will of the Lord on earth 
as it is done in heaven, will lead us to see and to feel 
that we should endeavour to attain that sense of our 
continual dependence on Him for all natural and spirit- 
ual support, the desire of which is expressed in the 
words, " Give us this day our daily bread." And when 
sensible of our dependence, we are in a state to com- 
prehend the nature of Divine forgiveness ; and to per 
ceive that we ourselves can be freed from the effects of 
our own sins, only so far as we receive and act from 
the spirit of forgiveness and love towards others. And 
for the attainment of this state, we are taught to ask 
in the words, " Forgive us our debts as we forgive our 
debtors." The effort to live under such a sense of our 
dependence, and in the exercise of forgiving love, dis- 
closes to us our internal state, and shows us what man- 
ner of spirit we are of. It renders us sensible of our 
self-reliance, of our depravity, and our weakness. And 
we are taught to look to the Lord for strength to over- 
come the power of temptation, and for deliverance from 
evil, in the words, " Lead us not into temptation, but 
deliver us from evil." And sensible that it is' not by 
our own wisdom, or by our own might, that we have 
power to overcome our evils, we are taupht to ascribe 



132 SERMONS ON THE 

to the Lord, the whole work of our redemption in the 
words, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and 
the glory, for ever, Amen." 

This form of words, we would not, however, impose 
upon all persons, or insist upon its use on all occasions. 
Neither would we restrict the freedom of any one, in 
making use of that form which he finds best suited to 
his present state of mind. Each one should always 
use .that form which appears best adapted to effect the 
object of prayer. And he should be allowed to vary 
and change the form, with the changes of his state. 
When in childhood, or in the first stages of regenerate 
life, prayer, if free, will consist of simple effusions of 
the heart. It will consist of desires freely expressed for 
those natural objects and wants, which we think neces- 
sary to our happiness. These free and simple expres- 
sions of the heart, we ought not to restrain by enforcing 
the use of any form, which must be always used. But 
as spiritual life has an orderly growth and development, 
and as the mind opens to see the Lord in his true cha- 
racter, and to perceive the nature and the efficacy of 
prayer, the form will be changed. As we gradually 
come into a state to perceive the goodness, the wisdom, 
and the universal providence of the Lord, and how he 
regards the objects and blessings of this life, only as 
they relate to eternal ends, and subserve our spiritual 
good, we shall feel less anxious and solicitous about 
natural objects and mere temporal good. We shall feel 
less desire to dictate or prescribe to infinite Wisdom 
the mode in which our happiness shall come ; but feel- 
ing resigned to the Divine will, we can say in sincerity, 
4h Father, not my will, but thine be done." 

Though we may find other forms more suited to more 



lord's prayer. 133 

incipient and imperfect states, yet as we advance in spi- 
ritual life, all other forms than that given by the Lord, 
will be gradually laid aside as comparatively external. 
And in using this form alone, our effort will be to fill 
it with corresponding affections. And when inclined to 
adopt other forms, we shall see that the inclination 
comes from a state of affections, which we should be in 
constant effort to put off. As the mind opens to see the 
spiritual sense of the words of this prayer, we shall per- 
ceive that they are suited to all circumstances and rela- 
tions in life, that they include every request, which in 
a good state of mind we can ask, that they are a per- 
fect body of those spiritual thoughts and affections, 
which are the soul of true prayer. 

On the posture of prayer. 

True prayer is in the affections of the will. It may 
be silent as well as expressed in words and posture. 
The unuttered aspirations of prayer, may exist in any 
attitude or posture of the body. And no form of words 
and posture constitutes true prayer, unless it proceeds 
from corresponding affections. Yet there is an appro- 
priate posture, as well as appropriate language for de- 
votional prayer — a posture which is involuntarily given 
to the body when the affections of veneration and love 
are strongly awakened. All the natural affections and 
passions, as love and hatred, joy and grief, naturally 
give corresponding external expressions to the counte- 
nance, and attitudes and gestures to the body. So a 
corresponding posture of the body, involuntarily flows 
from the affection of true reverence and devotion. And 
when this affection is awakened and strongly called into 
exercise, a corresponding posture will as naturally be 

12 



134 SERMONS ON THE 

given to the body as laughter or weeping, the natural 
expressions of joy and grief, will be seen in the counte- 
nance, when these passions are excited. And when alone 
and unrestrained by the presence of others, we shall al- 
most involuntarily assume that posture in our devotions. 

The Scriptures are written in accordance with the 
correspondence between external expressions and inter- 
nal affections. The attitude, gesture, or posture of the 
body, which naturally flows from any affection, is used 
to signify that affection. The original word, both in 
Hebrew and Greek, which is translated worship, lite- 
rally signifies kneeling. This external posture of the 
body, therefore, is used in the Scriptures, to signify the 
corresponding internal affection of reverence and devo- 
tion. And kneeling is universally considered as the 
natural expression — the passionate language of devo- 
tional prayer — that posture which is involuntarily given 
to the body, whenever we attempt to come into the 
presence of the Lord, impressed with a sense of the 
majesty and the glory of his character. 

On the occasions of prayer. 

According as prayer is offered, when by ourselves 
alone, or in association with others, it is distinguished 
into private, social, and public prayer. 

Particular encouragement seems to be given in the 
Scriptures to private prayer, both by the precepts and 
the example of the Lord. In his state of humiliation 
he was often accustomed to retire to pray by himself 
alone ; and he often directed his disciples also, when 
they prayed, to enter into the closet, and pray to their 
Father who seeth in secret. Retiring into the closet, 
or by ourselves alone, however, is only an external 
act, the internal of which is retiring into the mind itself. 



lord's prayer. 135 

It is merely an outward act of no consequence, only so 
far as it is significative of this reality. Whether alone 
or in association with others, our prayers in this sense, 
should always be in secret. Withdrawing our thoughts 
and affections from the outward world, we should retire 
into the closet of the mind — into the inner recesses of 
the heart, and offer its sincere aspirations to " our Fa- 
ther who seeth in secret," from whose eye no thought 
or affection is concealed. In this sense, our prayers 
should always be in secret. And in this sense, they 
may be in secret, and be equally sincere, when offered 
in association with others as when alone. 

No religious exercise appears more in harmony with 
the spirit of religion, or attended with better influences 
on the character, than social or family prayer ; when 
it is orderly and sincere, and flows from the true spirit 
of secret prayer. When in the true language and pos- 
ture of prayer, parents unite in their devotions — when 
the Lord and his Word are approached with due reve- 
rence and filial confidence — and when children are early 
taught by example as well as by precept, to acknow- 
ledge their dependence on the Lord, and to feel their re- 
lation to their heavenly Father. When divested of all 
mere outward form, family prayer is sincere and regular 
in its recurrence, the religious state of children can be 
no less affected by its influence, than their health is af- 
fected by the atmosphere in which they breathe. 

Prayer, when made an exercise of public worship, is 
called public prayer. Though offered in public, it should 
still be in secret. Though made in presence of men, it 
should be made to be heard of the Lord, whom alone we 
should think of, and realize to be present. Though the 
devotions of all are led by one, yet all should be in a 



136 SERMONS ON THE 

state to unite. And the words used as the form, should 
be as the free-will offering of every heart. On such occa- 
sions, all worldly thoughts should be banished, all hu- 
man distinctions be annihilated — and each one entering 
the closet (the inmost recesses of the heart) should shut 
the door of the senses to all outward things, and be pre- 
pared to pray to our common Father, who seeth in secret. 
All should then be of one heart, and one mind ; and thus 
prepared to unite in one form of prayer, as children to 
our common " Father, who is in the heavens." 

On the frequency of prayer. 

We should never bring confusion into the mind, by re- 
garding prayer, or any act of religious worship, as an end. 
It is never to be so regarded, but only the means of ob- 
taining an end; this end is a good life—d, life of practical 
usefulness to the world — a life in which all the benevo- 
lence and wisdom of the mind become manifested in act 
in all the various relations which we hold to society. 
And that s-tate of the mind which it is the object of prayer 
to produce, we should ever be in effort to attain and to 
preserve — in this sense we should pray always. 

But such is the nature and condition of man, that we 
need the external forms of public worship, and the ex- 
ternal forms of social and of private prayer to attain this 
state, and to preserve us in it — to assist in withdrawing 
our affections, and in elevating them above the things 
of the world — and to keep alive the spirit of devotion 
which is so prone to languish and die. A disposition, 
however, to multiply, and to render the seasons of pub- 
lic worship, or of oral prayer, too frequent, originates in 
false views of the subject of religion, and of the nature 
of true worship — it is a delusion that mistakes means 
for the end; — one which makes the end of religion a life 



lord's prayer. 137 

of merely attending to the forms of external worship and 
prayer, rather than in a good life. Still, external wor- 
ship and prayer are to be regarded as duties, although 
often perverted or abused — as the means of a good life. 

How frequently seasons expressly allotted to the per- 
formance of prayer should recur may be influenced by 
our own individual state. And each one should be left 
free to perform the duty as frequently as he finds it 
most conducive to his spiritual growth and advance- 
ment. But as life is divided into weeks and days — 
periods of time that are constant and regular in their re- 
currence, and as each successive day is subdivided into 
separate portions, each of which has its own peculiar 
duties, a life of order requires that to every duty there 
should be allotted a season for its performance, and that 
each duty should be performed in its season. 

Besides the exercise of public worship on the sabbath, 
and those occasions when the scattered members of a 
society assemble and unite in their devotion, it would 
seem that the states of us all must require, that, at least 
one season each day should be allotted to the duty of 
social or of private prayer. And to this practice our 
Lord seems to give his authority, by the literal form of 
the words, " Give us this day our daily bread." 

We are left to our own choice, and to consult our own 
convenience, as to what particular part of the day is al- 
lotted for the performance of this duty. And we should 
attach more importance to its regularity and constancy, 
than to any particular part of the day being allotted for 
its performance. But still this is a subject worthy of 
consideration; and we would remark, in conclusion, 
that no other season appears so appropriate as the 

12* 



138 SERMONS ON THE LORD ? S PRAYER. 

morning of the day for the duties of devotion, either for 
secret or for family prayer. We have then just awoke 
from a state of insensibility — when all around us was 
dark, still and lifeless — we are refreshed and invigorated 
with rest — the world, all creation seems also to awake 
with renewed life, energy and joy. The quiet prospects 
of nature, often enlivened by the blending notes of the 
animal world, all conspire to give to the mind settled 
calmness and composure. No season seems so appro- 
priate that we should bow in the humble acknowledg- 
ment of " Our Father in the heavens," — by whose sus- 
taining hand and watchful eye we have been preserved 
during the thoughtless hours of sleep, — and that our 
feelings should then be brought into harmony with the 
prospects, and the mingled notes of praise around us. 
That before we enter upon the business, and become 
exposed to the temptation of another day, we should 
bow in devout acknowledgment of Him who is the 
fountain of all our wisdom, and all our strength. That 
we should then acknowledge Him as the source of our 
" daily bread" — and renewing the fire upon the altar, 
offer an offering of incense, the odour of which will not 
cease to be felt, till the season of offering again returns. 



ON CHRISTIAN LIFE. 
Matthew xix, 17. 

" If thou would enter into life, keep the commandments." 

To a world in doubt and unbelief upon the subject, 
the Christian religion brings life and immortality to 
light. To one who admits its claims, and acknowledges 
the truth of its doctrines, the subject of religion becomes 
of all subjects, the most interesting and important. 
Christianity teaches and sanctions this great doctrine, 
that the soul of man does not perish with the body, 
but that it is immortal. It also teaches that direction 
of its course for eternity is marked out in time. That 
upon the manner in which we spend the comparatively 
few days allotted to our existence here in this world, 
will depend our state of happiness or misery in the world 
to come. Surely, then, no subject can be fraught with 
so much interest to a reflecting mind, as that which re- 
lates to the manner in which we may best fulfil the 
end of our being, and secure our eternal happiness in 
the future world. 

All men admit the importance of the subject — and 
none, perhaps, will think that he has given to it so 
much consideration as it justly claims. 

(139) 



140 SERMONS. 

But many think to justify themselves for giving little 
or no attention to it, and sometimes for not only banish- 
ing it entirely from their minds, but for treating it with 
indifference, and with a degree of contempt on account 
of the great diversity of opinions and sentiments among 
those who do profess to be interested, and to have ex- 
amined the subject. 

It is true, my friends, that the Christian church is 
broken up and divided into sects almost without num- 
ber. And not only upon the minor and the less impor- 
tant subjects, but also on the most fundamental doc- 
trines of our faith, opinions, and sentiments the most 
opposite, are eagerly imbibed and warmly advocated. 
And when men of great talents and learning, who 
have all necessary leisure and opportunity to examine 
the subject, adopt sentiments so directly opposite ; and 
when we see that each one appears to be equally con- 
fident that he is right, and the other wrong — the hum- 
ble inquiring mind often feels distracted, and is led to 
ask, " How am /to know the truth ? To whom shall I 
go? By these conflicting opinions and party contro- 
versies, I am only thrown into doubt and confusion. I 
feel and acknowledge the subject to be important, but 
I have nor time to go to all, and to exafriine all the 
different sentiments that prevail. Now who will show 
me any good, or who will guide me in the right way 
of life ?" 

Laying aside all thought of sect or of party in reli- 
gion, to this state of mind, I would reply in all the sim- 
plicity and sincerity in which these inquiries are made. 
I would speak to assure you, that after all that is said 
and written upon the subject, after all these party con- 



SERMONS. 141 

troversies and sectarian opinions, religion itself is a very 
plain subject ; and so far as it is best for us in our pre 
sent stale, it is easily understood. And the way of 
life— the path that leads straight on to heaven, is so 
plain, that the simplest child is in no more danger of 
mistaking it, than the greatest philosopher. 

The essence of all religion is charity — it all consists 
in feeling right and acting right. " For what does 
the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, 
and to walk humbly with thy God ?" 

The Lord is not a hard master. He does not require 
of man what he does not give him power to do. He 
made man to bless him — he made him to render him 
happy on earth, and when he is called away, to impart 
to him the happiness of heaven. 

The subject of religion and the way to heaven, we 
said, was simple and easily understood ; and as it is of 
equal importance to all, let us not merely talk about it, 
and, as is often done, darken counsel by high-sounding 
words without knowledge ; but let us endeavour to 
bring it home to ourselves. And if the subject is so 
important to all, and so simple, let us endeavour to use 
language and illustrations, that the simple as well as 
the wise can understand. 

When a little child at first goes to school, the instructer 
teaches Jiim his letters. He then teaches him to pro- 
nounce them together in words — then to read easy les- 
sons. And when he can read well enough, the child 
learns grammar, arithmetic, and the different branches 
of science. The teacher has too much wisdom to ex- 
pect that the child will read before he has learned his 
letters, or that he can make him understand the higher 



142 SERMONS. 

branches of science and philosophy before he is pre- 
pared for them. But when the child is prepared, he 
finds no difficulty in teaching them. 

" Except ye be converted, and become as little child- 
ren, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" 

In religion, the first lesson for us to learn is, to be- 
come as little children. Which signifies, that if we are 
puffed up with the pride of learning, and the conceit of 
knowledge, or a sense of our own importance, to put 
it all off, and to become of an humble and a teachable 
mind. And surely all can understand this, and all will 
acknowledge it to be true. 

We must not expect to know every thing at once. 
We must not attempt to go too fast. But from this 
state of childlike simplicity, we must advance from one 
degree to another. 

Let us make this principle practical. Let us now 
bring it home to our present state ; and if we have 
learned this first lesson, and are now in a docile state 
of mind, the language of the heart will be, what is 
our duty to do now ? Let this principle sink deep into 
the mind, that we are not to feel anxious or troubled 
about the future, nor about the consequences of what 
we do. But as fast as we see the truth, acknowledge 
it — and apply it to our life. This is all — but this is 
every thing. # 

We are now convened in the name of the Lord, 
professedly, to be instructed in the things that, pertain 
to his kingdom ; viz. how we may live well, and know 
and believe the truth. Assembled for this object, and 
seated as we now are, let us bring the principle home, 
and apply it — each one to his present situation. 






SERMONS. 143 

What is our duty to do now? It is the duty of the 
teacher to teach the truth, in the love of the truth, and 
from a love for it — to endeavour to illustrate it with 
clearness, and in simplicity — and to adapt his manner 
to the capacity of all who hear him. 

And it is the present duty of all who hear, to hear 
with attention — with an honest mind — without preju- 
dice or partiality; and so far as the teaching is seen to 
be the truth, to receive it — to receive it now — to let it 
enter directly into the understanding and the heart, that 
it may govern and control the life. 

Soon we may engage in another act of worship — and 
sing a song of praise to the Lord ; and what will be our 
duty then ? It will be the duty of each one to unite in 
that exercise of worship. If with his voice he is not 
able, yet with his heart he should offer up those affec- 
tions of joy, of love, and of praise to the Lord, from 
which all true devotional music proceeds, and of which 
it should always be only an external expression. 

And when we separate, and each one returns home 
to his family, or place of abode, what will be his duty 
then ? The station which we hold in life, and the re- 
lations by which we are connected with society around 
us are different, and consequently the specific duties 
which arise out of them are different. And without 
entering into all the particular forms of duty which may 
devolve upon us, we may remark, generally, that if we 
are in a right state to do our duty, the right mode of it 
will be soon discovered. But should any one be at 
loss, and hesitate what to do, let him first look ivithin 
and observe the affections of his heart, and the thoughts 
of his mind — and let his reason and his conscience de- 






144 SERMONS. 

cide what is right, and what is wrong for him to in- 
dulge. Let him begin by shunning all discovered evils — 
all that the commandments forbid, and the right way 
will soon become plain. 

If we successively take each one of the command- 
ments, and apply it to our present state, and check in 
our minds the affections and the thoughts from whbh 
our actions proceed, we shall not fall into sin. And if 
in this state each one looks around on those with whom 
he is connected by the different relations of life, and 
says with respect to all, " as I shall desire you to do to- 
wards me, so will I do towards you/' — he will not be 
left in doubt what to do. 

And when we lay down at night on the bed of rest, 
it is our duty then to feel (if we have so spent the day), 
that the duties of the day have been well done — to exer- 
cise towards all men the same spirit of love and good 
will — and without one anxious thought for the future, 
to surrender with confidence ourselves to His keeping, 
through the darkness of the night, who never slumbers 
nor sleeps ; and who is always mindful of us, though 
we cannot always think of Him. 

And when we shall have awoke in the morning with 
renewed strength and fresh vigour, it will be our duty 
then, Jirst to think of Him with emotion of gratitude, 
from whom we have received it; without whose watch- 
ful eye and sustaining hand, our sleep had been our 
death. < 

And when we shall enter on the business of another 
day, and engage in its duties, it will then be our duty 
to carry along with us this same spirit — these same 
feelings of trust in Providence, of charity and good 



SERMONS. 145 

will to all men. In that particular employment in 
which we are engaged, to do well the duties of it — to 
act sincerely and uprightly towards all men. And as 
we shall go into the busy world, and have to do with 
men in whom the selfish spirit of this world reigns — 
and love of ambition and pride, which prompts them to 
acts of oppression and abuse — the love of avarice, that 
prompts to dishonesty, deception and fraud — the love 
of pleasure, that prompts to extravagance, to idleness, 
to excess and injustice, — what is our duty then ? This 
is indeed the time of trial. But the mind is not to be 
trusted, that has never been tried. We live in a world 
of probation, where trials abound, and temptations 
come to prove the strength of our character and the 
sincerity of our faith — to show us our own weakness — 
to bring out our evil propensities and passions, and show 
us what spirit we are of — to show us, that though we 
may sometimes fall, yet there is One to whom we may 
look for strength to rise again. Yes, it will be our duty 
then to carry along with us the same spirit of love, 
charity and conscientious regard to truth. And though 
the storms of adversity should appear to be gathering, 
and the waves of temptation to roll as if to swallow us 
up — yet the elements and storms, are all subject to His 
control, who prompts the still small voice within that 
whispers, " Peace, be still" These trials and the temp- 
tations before us, we need not dread, if we only keep 
this humble, this docile mind, and do what is to be done 
now — and taking no anxious thought about the future, 
leave the good providence of the Lord to provide for 
that. If at any time we feel in doubt, we should look 
up, saying, " Lord, what wilt thou have us to do ?" 

13 



146 SERMONS. 

And we shall hear a still small voice within, saying, 
" this is the way, walk ye in it" 

So let us go on from day to day — so on through life, 
preserve this state — this docile temper of mind. Be not 
anxious about to-morrow, for we can never know what 
a day will bring forth. Be not anxious about the next 
hour — no, not the next moment. But let all our anxiety 
be, to keep the heart right — to know our present duty, 
and we may always know it. This is the secret of 
true wisdom. This is what is meant by " seeking first 
the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all 
these things shall be added unto you" 

Think not, however, that no temptations will beset 
our way. Think not that it will never require an effort 
to deny themselves, and obey the dictates of conscience, 
and the rule of duty. If we do, we shall be deceived. 
For the dominion of self-love, which shows itself 
in so many forms, is not easily checked and subdued. 
The passions of ambition, pride, avarice, and ill-will, 
will be continually tempting us astray. So will there 
be feelings within, which will be continually repre- 
senting to the mind, that there is no need of all this 
self-denial — that there is no need of thus separating 
ourselves from others — and that it is only arrogance 
and pride in us, to think that the course which we are 
pursuing, is the only safe course — that all around us, 
are going the broad road to ruin. And not unfre- 
quently shall we be tempted by the thoughts of our 
own minds, and by the reflections of others, to aban- 
don the course which we have resolved to pursue. It 
is true, it may be said, that the course which we are 
pursuing, is a safe one, but it is too tame for a man of 



SERMONS. 147 

spirit— it is too simple. We wish for a religion that 
allows free indulgence to a more manly and indepen- 
dent spirit ; that gives more latitude to our intercourse 
with the world, and does not lay such restraints upon 
our conduct. We cannot endure to be always so very 
conscientious, and so scrupulous in our conduct. All 
these are false representations, are only the forms in 
which the natural sensual mind will be constantly 
tempting the internal spiritual mind — to turn us away 
from the truth — the way that reason and conscience, 
and the commandments point out. But all these temp- 
tations we must be prepared to meet. We must con- 
stantly keep in mind the source from which they come, 
and that all these are only the delusions, the artful mis- 
representations of the destoyer— a lure to beguile the 
soul to ruin. Thus, " if thou wouldst enter into life, 
keep the commandments." 

All that has been said, you may now reply, is true ; 
yet it is so simple and so plain that we did not require 
to have it told. 

Religion, we said, is a plain subject : the road to 
heaven a straight-forward path, which none need mis- 
take ; and when it is once pointed out, it appears so 
plain, that we only wonder that it did not appear so 
before. 

But, perhaps, there may be those to whom, on re- 
flection, this may appear to be strange doctrine — who 
have not been accustomed to hear religion thus de- 
scribed, and they would wish to inquire, " Do you then 
teach that all religion consists in good works ; or in 
such a simple conscientious life ? Are we not justified 
by faith ! Not by works, but by faith in the atoning 



148 SERMONS. 

blood of Christ ? And are you not teaching that it is 
of no importance what a man believes'} The great 
doctrine of justification by faith alone, appears to be 
given up as false and erroneous. Yes, we teach that 
faith is of no avail any farther than it works by love, 
purifies the heart, overcomes the world, and leads to 
such a life as we have described. But what is faith ? 
True faith is such a practical belief in the truth, as leads 
directly to action and life. And as far as any one does 
thus conform to the dictates of reason, of conscience, 
and the Word of God in his life, so far, and so far only, 
has he true faith. 

But nothing has been said of conviction of sin ; of 
repentance ; of conversion ; of regeneration ; or of a 
belief in the true doctrines of faith. We will now at- 
tempt to explain briefly the meaning of these terms. 

The manner in which we ought to feel, and to act 
has already been presented, and illustrated in a way so 
simple, that it may be presumed all understand it. If 
now we should plainly inquire of each one, whether 
he does not see this to be the way in which he ought 
to live— whether, without any anxiety about the future, 
he ought not now to act conscientiously, according to 
the dictates of reason and the Word of God — he would 
surely answer yes. 

If we should again proceed to ask, whether he is not 
conscious that he does not live so ? If, upon reflection, 
he should reply yes ; then he will easily understand 
what conviction of sin is. A conviction — a feeling 
sense that he does not live as he ought to live. 

Again, if he now has feelings of sorrow, of true sor- 
row, that he has not lived so— of a sorrow so deep and 



SERMONS. 149 

sincere, that he now resolves to live no longer as he 
has done, but as he ought to do, this is repentance. 

And if he is so much in earnest about it, that he will 
actually carry his purpose into effect, and now resolve 
to live hereafter, as he feels and knows he ought to 
live, that will be conversion. 

If he shall continue to persevere, his inclination will 
at length coincide with his duty. True, it will for a 
time require self-denial — it will require him to encoun- 
ter temptations, and to endure conflicts w r ith an artful 
enemy ; but if in humility, and trusting to the Lord for 
strength, he persevere, he will at length overcome op- 
position, and his duty will be his delight. And he will 
live as he ought to live, and his highest happiness will 
be found in living so ; and this state is regeneration. 

Absolute regeneration, or a state of moral perfection, 
he shall never attain in this world, for he shall never 
have entirely put off all that is evil ; but he may for 
ever continue to advance towards Him who is the 
standard not only of happiness, but of perfection. 

Again, with regard to the doctrines of faith, nothing 
is required of man to believe, any farther than he 
understands it, or sees reasons for believing it to be 
true. We must not expect to attain the age of wis- 
dom, until we have passed the periods of childhood 
and youth. We must not expect that the sublimest 
doctrines of faith, the deepest mysteries of our being, 
will be at once revealed to us — no, we ought not to 
wish for it — we could not bear them. We could not 
instantly pass from midnight darkness to the splendour 
of meridian day, without total blindness from excess 
of light. But if we enter upon this course, if we be- 

13* 



150 SERMONS. 

gin by keeping the commandments, the day-star will 
arise in the mind, the dawning will appear, and the 
light grow brighter and brighter till the full effulgence 
of meridian day pours on the sight. We must keep 
the mind open — free from all prejudice. We must allow 
no inlet of truth to the mind be closed up — we must 
read and hear, observe and reflect, and conscientiously 
use the means of knowledge and truth — we must always 
do our present duty, and as the consequence, our errors 
will be exuded and cast off — our doubts dissipated and 
removed, and as fast as the eye becomes unsealed from 
prejudice, and we sincerely desire it for its own sake, 
light will break in upon the mind. Yes, that which 
was darkness will become light, and we shall by de- 
grees be brought into a state, in which not only our 
duty — the manner in which we ought to live and act, 
day by day, will be plain and clear to the mind; but 
also the great doctrine of faith — the nature and cha- 
racter of our Lord Jesus Christ, the nature of heaven 
and hell, and of the world of spirits — the connexion 
that subsists between the natural world and the spirit- 
ual world — the laws of divine order — the nature and 
the process of generation — all these great and myste- 
rious doctrines will be unfolded to the mind as fast and 
as far as the mind is prepared to receive and to ac- 
knowledge them. 

I The eye must be kept single, if the body is to be 
filled with light. We must desire to do the will of 
God, before we can expect God to reveal his doctrines. 
For how can He who charged his disciples not to 
give that which is holy to dogs, nor to cast pearls be- 
fore swine, how can He reveal his truth to a mind that 



SERM$\ T S. 151 

loves darkness better than light? Or how can he reveal 
the purity, the order, and the happiness of heavenly life, 
to be profaned by a mind that does freely choose its 
present state of darkness, degradation, and misery? 

If, therefore, we would enter into life, we must begin 
by keeping the commandments ; and by experience we 
shall find that in keeping them is great reward. We 
shall find a change gradually going on within, the spi- 
ritual sight and senses will become opened, and we shall 
enjoy light instead of darkness — confidence instead of 
doubt — order instead of confusion : and our path will 
be that of the just, which, like the rising light, shines 
brighter and brighter unto perfect day. As the heart 
becomes purified from selfishness, and expanded with 
love, a new direction will be given to all the powers of 
the soul — to all the faculties of the mind and the body — 
each one will be rightly directed, exercised, and per- 
fected. And that perfect adaptation of the mind to its 
present state, to the external world, and to all the ob- 
jects to which it stands in relation, will be seen and felt. 
And this world by degrees will appear what it is de- 
signed to be, a seminary for heaven ; from which, after 
passing through a state of moral and intellectual disci- 
pline, if it has been rightly directed, the spirit divested 
of the body, will enter upon a state of endless improve- 
ment and happiness, continually advancing towards the 
standard of perfection. 

But if we " would enter into "life, we must keep the 
commandments." With an humble and a teachable 
mind, we must desire to know our duty, and then do it. 
This is the secret of true wisdom — this is the road that 
leads straight on to the felicities of heaven. 



152 SERMONS. 



tmm 



ON SELF-DENIAL. 



Matthew xvi. 24, 25. 

" Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let 
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever 
will save his life shall lose it : and whosoever will lose his life for my sake 
shall find it." 

When the Lord was in the world, he appeared in the 
character, and took upon himself the name of a teacher; 
and to those who followed him, he gave the name of 
disciples. " Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say 
well, for so I am." 

But how different from his real, must have been his 
apparent character. Though Lord of all, to appear- 
ance, he had not where to lay his head. He was 
born in a manger — was brought up in the despised 
city of Nazareth — his kindred and associates in life 
were unlettered and poor, and there were no external 
circumstances to attract the admiration of the world. 
He showed no disposition, however, to flatter the pride 
and conciliate the favour of the great. For he openly 
and plainly exposed vice and hypocrisy, wherever it 
was found. He tore off the veil of external appearances 
that disguised the motives, and disclosed the hidden 



SERMONS. 153 

springs of action. He took no care to guard the dignity 
of his person by secluding himself from society, by 
entrenching himself in the forms of the higher ranks of 
life, or by repelling from his presence the poor and the 
ignorant who came to him for instruction. But he goes 
freely among all ranks and conditions of life. He eats 
at the table of the publican and the sinner, as well as 
with the Pharisee. 

His object appeared to be to enlighten the ignorant, 
to reclaim the vicious, to comfort the afflicted, and to 
gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel to the fold. 
And regardless of the opinions of the world, he goes on 
with his work. 

He apparently takes no measures to gain proselytes. 
He does indeed exhibit evidences of Divine Power, 
by the miracles which he wrought. But these mira- 
cles appear to have been wrought simply as manifest- 
ing his benevolence, not for displaying his power. 
They were performed not in circumstances to attract 
the greatest admiration for his power ; but rather in 
circumstances to exhibit his humility and his conde- 
scending love. He also manifests evidences of Divine 
Wisdom in his doctrines and precepts. But he makes 
no display of his wisdom. It is, to appearance, no 
part of his object to gain admiration, and to attract 
men to follow him, by displaying his wisdom and his 
powers of persuasion, in a manner to flatter their pride, 
by becoming the disciples of so distinguished a Master. 
But his wisdom was shown in a manner to have di- 
rectly the opposite effect. It was exhibited in a man- 
ner not to attract their admiration for him as a man, 
but to render them either displeased with him, or dis- 



154 SERMONS 

satisfied with themselves. He does, indeed, come 
down to their state and address himself to their capa- 
cities. But he does not come down to their state of 
disorder to remain with them there. While sitting in 
the region and the shadow of death, he comes down to 
their state, only that he may become to them a light to 
guide their feet in the way of peace. He does not 
therefore teach them to sit still and remain satisfied 
with their present condition, but tells them of a better 
state than theirs. He describes and points out the way 
to attain it. He goes before them to lead them on ; 
and turning to them, pointing to the affections and mo- 
tives to be overcome within themselves, he says, " If 
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and 
take up his cross, and follow me." 

The disciples of Jesus spiritually signify those affec- 
tions for the truth, which, when followed, cause man 
to be his disciple. And it is to these affections in our- 
selves, to which these words are addressed — " If any 
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and 
take up his cross, and follow me." 

In the literal circumstances of the Saviour's life, in 
the trials and self-denials to which his disciples were 
literally subjected, we have an illustration of what must 
take place with every one who is following him spirit- 
ually. He did not appear in circumstance to attract 
the applause and to gain the admiration of the world. 
He came neither with the crown and sceptre of a king, 
nor with the robe and the mitre of the priesthood. 
And when the people believed him to be the Messiah, 
and would come and take him by force and make him 
a king — such a king, as they in their pride wished 



SERMONS. 155 

should rule over them, he conveyed himself away and 
escaped from them. He held forth no external induce- 
ments for men to follow him. If they wished to become 
his disciples, it must be solely from their love for him 
and his doctrines. 

But why were the conditions of discipleship made so 
hard, and so self-denying? He did not wish for disci- 
ples who did not follow him from these motives alone; 
who could not see (even in circumstances as regarded, 
in the world, low and humiliating) the wisdom of his 
doctrines, and the beauty of his character ; and who 
would not be willing to deny self in order to follow him. 
He therefore appeared in circumstances which required 
him to declare openly to all men, " Whosoever he be 
of you, that forsaketh not all that he hath, verily I say 
unto you, he cannot be my disciple." " He that loveth 
father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. 
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after 
me, is not worthy of me." 

As the disciples spiritually signify the affections for 
spiritual truth, these affections are addressed in our- 
selves in the spiritual sense of the Word. " If any man 
will come after me," spiritually signifies, if any one 
would receive into life, and obey the doctrines which 
the Lord reveals. " Let him deny himself, and up his 
cross and follow me," signifies that he can receive the 
truth into life only by giving up the love of self — only 
so far as the life of self-love becomes crucified and ex- 
tinguished. 

It was by the combats of temptation with his heredi- 
tary evils, that the Lord overcame them. It was by 
always yielding to, and obeying the Divine Truth in all 



156 SERMONS. 

things, that the truth came forth from within him, into 
open manifestation and life, so that he became the Di- 
vine Truth itself in personal form, and was, in ulti- 
mate^, the manifestation of the Father. The tempta- 
tions through which he passed were all internal — they 
were the spiritual combats between good and evil in 
himself. His hereditary evils were opposed to the 
Divine Truth, and when called up, they produced the 
internal conflicts of spiritual temptations ; the last of 
which was that which was externally represented by 
giving up his own life. The warfare had been grow- 
ing more and more severe and internal. The conflicts 
through which he passed were at first more external, as 
it were without the camp ; but they became more and 
more internal, as the work of his glorification went on, 
till they come within the walls of the city, and the cita- 
del itself is assaulted and taken. And his passion of the 
cross is only the external representative of this internal 
conflict — this spiritual giving up of his own life. It was 
not till the last enemy was overcome, and he had bowed 
his head and given up the ghost — it was not till he had 
laid down his own hereditary life, that he could be fully 
glorified, and God glorified in him. 

The cross, therefore, which was the external emblem 
of his last and greatest temptation, is used as the sign 
of temptations and of victory. As it was by giving 
up his own will, and yielding obedience to Divine 
truth — by doing the will of the Father even to suf- 
fering his own life to be taken away, that the Lord 
gained the victory, and became the Prince of Peace ; 
so taking up the cross, and following him, spiritually 
signifies, as applied to man's regeneration, that by the 



SERMONS. 157 

internal combats of temptation, victory over the love 
of self is to be acquired. Taking up the cross and fol- 
lowing him, therefore, signifies passing through those 
internal conflicts, or spiritual temptations, which must 
inevitably arise in the mind, as the consequence of self- 
denial and obedience to the truth. 

Every step taken in regeneration, is taken by first 
knowing that truth which is in advance of our present 
state of affection, and then by denying self in order 
to obey it. This produces those inward conflicts and 
temptations, which are signified by taking up the cross 
and following the Lord. The cross, therefore, is the 
emblem both of spiritual combat, and of spiritual vic- 
tory — that we shall conquer even when we appear to 
fall. 

" For whosoever will save his life shall lose it ; and 
whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." 
Life, in its most literal sense, signifies merely the ani- 
mal breath of the body; but it signifies, in its spiritual 
sense, the love or ruling affection from which man acts. 
It is used to signify two opposite states of affection, 
love to the Lord and the neighbour, which is spiritual 
or heavenly life ; and the love of self and of the world, 
"which is natural or infernal life. 

The word life is used in the text in both senses, to 
signify both natural life and spiritual life. The text 
might be paraphrased thus : He that would save his 
natural life — or preserve, and act from the affection of 
self-love, shall lose his spiritual life. But whosoever 
will lose his natural life — deny the life of self-love, 
shall come into the exercise of spiritual life. 

And it is to a practical application of this doctrine 

14 



158 SERMONS. 

to our own life, to which I would now direct your 
attention. 

The natural life of man is the life of the love of self 
and the love of the world ; and it is only so far as he 
loses this life — denies the love of self and the world, 
that he comes into the Church and acts from the affec- 
tions of spiritual life. And this truth we ought to have 
continually impressed upon us, that we can come into 
the Church, and allow it to be built up in ourselves, 
and become mediums of building it up in others, only 
by giving up our own wills — opening our understand- 
ings to the truth, and yielding a free obedience to it. 

A knowledge of the doctrines of the Church, or the 
acknowledgment of their truth, does not cause us to be 
of the Church ; but it is that knowledge of the doctrines 
only which is united to the affections, and which we 
are in effort to obey as the rule of life, which conjoins 
us to the Church. 

The doctrines of spiritual truth which are revealed 
for the Church, teach and require us to live from the 
life of love to the Lord, and love to the neighbour. 
These doctrines require us to acknowldge them as 
our rules and principles of life — to regulate our actions 
and lives by them. They require us to acknowledge 
them above all things, and to give up our own wills, 
and become of the teachable disposition of little child- 
ren. Now this must appear as a hard saying to the 
natural man, and he asks who can hear it ? Whether 
there be those who can hear it or not, — of such only 
is the kingdom of heaven — of such only does a spirit- 
ual Church consist. And we are of the Church only 
so far as the love of self is overcome, and love to the 



SERMONS. 159 

Lord and to our neighbour, forms the life from which 
we are endeavouring to live. And we cannot come into 
the exercise of this life except by giving up — losing our 
own selfish life. All our attempts, therefore, to build 
up the Church, except by first coming into its spirit and 
its life ourselves, are of no avail. 

The glorification of the Lord was effected from with- 
in outward. It was effected by always yielding up his 
own hereditary will and life, to obey the Divine Truth; 
by always denying the hereditary love of self, and do- 
ing that which was pleasing to the Father. So also 
must the regeneration of man be effected, and the 
Church be built up in himself and in the world. And 
as we are all naturally actuated by the love of self 
and the world, the loves of spiritual life, which require 
us to deny this love, and to live for the good of others, 
must meet with opposition from within ourselves. 
They cannot be received into life except by giving up 
our own wills to follow the Lord. And in coming into 
the Church it is necessary that it should both 6eso, and 
should appear so. For it is impossible for man to be 
really of the Church only so far as he has been sub- 
jected to the trial, and put to the test, whether he will 
acknowledge the truth — the order of the Church, in 
his life, or not ; whether he will find his life, or lose 
it for the Lord's sake ; whether he will keep the love 
of self, and the love of the world, subordinate to love 
to the Lord and the Church, or whether the Lord and 
the Church shall be subordinate to the love of self and 
the world. 

In following the Lord, therefore, in the regeneration, 
and in coming into the Church, we can do so only by 



160 SERMONS. 

denying self, and by giving up our own lives, that we 
may obey him, and receive life from him. And so far 
as we have expelled the love of self and the world, the 
life which will flow into our wills from the Lord, will 
become the active propelling power, which will give 
that spiritual activity and disinterested zeal ; it is this 
which will breathe that unity of spirit, which alone can 
build up and cement the Church in the bonds of charity 
and love. 

And so far as the individual members of the Church 
have come into it, by this giving up of their own wills, 
and from the love of the truth itself, and of the recep- 
tion of it into their lives, they will be united — of one 
heart and one mind. Then will they be united, not 
merely for the sake of self-defence and mutual support 
against opposition from the world; but they will re- 
ceive that spirit of charity and love from which the truth 
first came, into that degree of truth which they have re- 
ceived into the understanding ; and there will be a ful- 
filment of the prayer for them — " I in them, and thou 
in me, that they may be one in us." 

The Church, therefore, in its least form — that of an 
individual man, is the union of the truth with the af- 
fections of benevolence ; a union which has been ef- 
fected only by self-denial — taking up the cross and fol- 
lowing the Lord. It is formed by that degree only of 
the knowledge of truth which is united to charity, and 
brought into life. 

The Church, in its lesser form, consists of an asso- 
ciation of those individuals only, who are separately 
the Church in its least form ; who unite together for 
the sake of being of mutual aid one to another, and of 



SERMONS. 161 

becoming better mediums of performing the uses of the 
Church. It is the aggregate of the goodness and the 
truth united in the separate members which forms the 
vitality of the Church, and which alone can preserve 
it in the spirit of unity and the bonds of peace. And 
instead of gaining strength and influence, by having 
those intimately associated with them, who are only in 
the passive acknowledgment of the doctrines, and not 
in effort to bring them into life, the Church as a society, 
will feel its powers only weakened and paralyzed. 

There should not be a disposition to exclude any 
one who has any degree of sincere love for the Church 
from coming into its association, so far as he can come 
in freedom, and is drawn to it by love for it. But the 
Church should hold forth no external or natural in- 
ducements, nor use any persuasion to gain proselytes. 
Charity, it is true, will prompt the members of the 
Church to teach and explain the doctrines, to all who 
wish to hear them ; to provide living teachers and 
books for those out of the Church, who wish to hear 
and read ; and to support the institutions of public 
worship and instruction for themselves and such as are 
desirous to join in their worship and to advance in the 
knowledge of the Church. 

But the Church should hold forth no external or 
selfish inducements to others to become externally asso- 
ciated ; for then becoming associated with the Church 
would be merely a matter of selfish calculation, and 
we should be drawn into it not by self-denial — not by 
losing our own selfish life, but on the contrary, merely 
to save our life, and to secure to our own self-love its 
gratification and delight. 

14* 



162 SERMONS. 

Individually, then, we cannot become regenerated 
and be formed into a spiritual Church in its least 
form, except by giving up the life of self-love and the 
love of the world. It must be effected by self-denial, 
taking up the cross, and following the Lord. The 
love of self and the love of the world must be cruci- 
fied, before the Lord can rise in our minds. Our love 
of power and of honour must be overcome, that He alone 
may be exalted and his truth obeyed. Our love of 
the world must give place to the love of performing 
uses. Our talents and our possessions must be laid at 
the altar, with the acknowledgment that they are from 
the Lord, and to be devoted to the establishing of his 
kingdom in the world. And however much we may 
talk of and admire the doctrines, and dilate on the 
glories of the New Jerusalem, we are really of that 
Church, and have begun to walk its golden streets, only 
so far as we do practically acknowledge this truth with 
reference to our own state, and are in effort to bring it 
into life. 

As it is with us individually, so it is collectively. 
The state of a society (or of the Church in its lesser 
form) must depend on the state of its individual mem- 
bers. So far as its members have been drawn together, 
by endeavouring to walk in the same road of life — by 
self-denial and attempting to follow the Lord in the 
regeneration, they will be of one mind — not seeking, 
each his own, but each one the good of all. And when 
self comes in opposition to the good of all, it will be 
seen and acknowledged, and the cross of self-denial 
taken up. And the greater the self-denials, and indi- 
vidual sacrifices which they are called to make, the 



SERMONS. ]63 

higher must their states be elevated. But the Church, 
as a body, cannot be elevated except by its being ele- 
vated in the individual members of which it is com- 
posed. It can be elevated only in the degree that they 
will individually deny self, and yield obedience to that 
order of life which is seen to be true, though in advance 
of the present state of their affections. They must not 
only see and acknowlege its truth, but they must en- 
deavour to reduce it to life, and make it as a lamp 
to their feet and a light to their path in their daily 
walks. 

All attempts, therefore, to advance and to build up 
the order of the Church in others is of no avail, only 
so far as it is suffered to come forth and to be built up 
in ourselves. Our own example and life must testify 
and bear witness to truth, and to the sincerity of our 
faith. Let us, therefore, lay aside all anxiety for the 
advancement and success of the Church in others, only 
so far as we are willing to have it be built up in our- 
selves, and wish to come into its order, and manifest 
its life. 

In the doctrines revealed for the New Church, we 
have disclosed the true order of life — the life of hea- 
ven. By the exercise of the understanding we may be 
elevated so as to see it intellectually. And though we 
are not prepared to come at once into this degree of 
order in our own life, we cannot but admire its beauty 
and acknowledge its truth, when seen at a distance. 
Like Moses, when raised to Pisgah's top, that he 
might have a distant view of the promised land, by a 
knowledge of the doctrines revealed for the Church, we 
are permitted to have a distant view of that state of or- 



164 SERMONS. 

der and of regeneration, which was represented by the 
Land of Canaan. The veil is so far removed as to allow 
us to look into and learn the state of life in the hea- 
vens, and to have a definite idea of that standard of true 
order, according to which we should endeavour to live. 
But alas ! this view of the distant prospect can do us 
no good, unless we set out on our way and endeavour 
to attain it. 

That state of order which is revealed for the Church, 
it is, indeed, delightful to contemplate. It is a lovely 
picture on which the eye gazes with admiration and de- 
light. In them we see the Lord descending from above 
the heavens, and coming down to our disordered state 
of life — assuming our nature with all its inherent evils 
and disorders, that he might restore it to order, and 
bring forth into it Divine Truth in human forms and re- 
lations ; and we see him gradually putting off the veil 
which conceals his divine nature, that he might bring 
forth and reveal himself as the captain of our salvation, 
and as the pattern for us to follow — as the standard of 
all human perfection to those who will follow him in 
the regeneration. We see the state of society in the 
heavens, of those who have already attained the man- 
sions which he is gone to prepare. We see the con- 
nexion between the natural and the spiritual world — 
the continual endeavour of the Lord, by influx, through 
the heavens and the spiritual world, to descend from 
heaven to earth, and to cause his kingdom to come, and 
his will to be done by man here on earth, as it is in 
heaven ; so that the tabernacle of God may be with 
men. We see the path of life before us, and we have 
the promise of the Lord, that " he that followeth him 



SERMONS. 165 

shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." 
All this it is possible for us to see intellectually and to 
admire, before we may have actually set out on our 
way, and taken one step on the road to attain this state 
ourselves, or without having submitted to one act of 
self-denial, and made one attempt to give up our own 
life of self and of the world. 

Now the consequence must be, that unless we go 
about the work of self-denial, and endeavour to bring 
forth this knowledge of truth into life, the interest which 
was first felt in knowing the truth will soon subside. 
The excitement of the truth will gradually pass off — a 
spell of apathy and indifference come over the mind — 
and we shall sink down into the mere natural state of 
the love of self and the world. Those bright percep- 
tions of the truth, those clear views of the promised 
land before us, will fade away ; and we shall abide, 
and love to abide — in darkness. 

But, on the other hand, if we are daily in effort to 
bring forth and manifest the truth in our life — if we are 
in effort to overcome the world, and to follow the 
Lord, every act of self-denial will be a step on the 
road towards this heavenly state ; every act of freely 
giving up our own life, will only make room and pre- 
pare us to receive a renewed influx of life from the 
Lord. And our perceptions of the truth of the doc- 
trines will daily become more and more distinct and 
definite. For just in the degree that they are reduced 
to practice, and brought forth into life, they will be- 
come that which we do know, and of which we can 
testify by our own experience. Just in the degree 
that we are brought to give up our own life, we shall 



166 SERMONS. 

receive that which is to come. And the true order of 
heaven will cease to be an object on which we shall 
merely continue to gaze as a far distant prospect, but 
it will begin to be felt and enjoyed. For every act of 
self-renunciation will prepare us for increased commu- 
nion and sympathy with those who have advanced be- 
fore us, and who are now made the mediums of a 
spiritual influx into our minds. 

Finally — The doctrines of spiritual truth revealed 
for the New Church, universally commend themselves 
to the rational understandings of all men. Though the 
state of affections may be so natural that we give 
little or no acknowledgment to any spiritual truth, yet 
when the understanding is raised above the depraved 
state of the affections, and freely — without prejudice 
examines the subject, it invariably assents to their 
reasonableness and is struck with admiration at their 
beauty. And men take no offence while they are 
permitted to sit in judgment upon them, and to 
receive or to reject them merely as the ingenious 
speculations of man — as one among other systems of 
faith, to all of which their own reason is superior, and 
upon which they are qualified to sit in judgment. It 
is their claims to divine authority, at which men take 
offence. It is not till they perceive that if this be 
admitted, they must give up their former faith and 
modes of life to embrace them as revealed truth — it Is 
not till then, that the spirit of opposition is felt from 
those in the false doctrines of the Christian Church at 
the present day. 

So, also, when the doctrines are preached and held 
forth in a manner to disturb no one, who is in the ac- 



SERMONS. 1G7 

knowledgment of them, in the free exercise of his own 
will and his love of the world ; or when they are held 
forth in a manner to flatter his pride, by showing to 
others the reasonableness of his own sentiments and the 
superiority and the excellence of his faith, he is then 
delighted, pleased with the medium, and satisfied with 
himself. But when the doctrines are presented in their 
practical relations to his life — when they are brought 
down to his daily actions, in a manner that he feels 
their claims — is. required to deny self, and to give up 
his life of self and of the world, in order to receive them 
and to become a disciple of them, — it is then that they 
produce a judgment in his mind — a separation between 
the living and the dead. Then " the hour comes when 
those" affections " which are in their graves will come 
forth — the good to the resurrection of life — the evil to 
the resurrection of condemnation." 



168 SERMONS. 



ermnti 



ON THE SPIRIT AND PRINCIPLES OF ASSO- 
CIATION IN THE NEW CHURCH. 



John xvii. 21 — 23. 

" That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, 
that they may also be one in us ; that the world may believe that thou 
hast sent me. 

" And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given them ; that 
they may be one, even as we are one ; I in them, and thou in me, that 
they may be made perfect in one ; and that the world may know that 
thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." 

The words of the text are to be understood as spoken 
in accommodation to men. They were spoken by the 
Lord, who is the essential Divine Truth manifested to 
men ; — the Word made flesh ; while, to appearance, he 
was merely a man, and separate from God, the Father, 
or from the Divine Good, which is here called the Fa- 
ther, who sent him into the world ; whose will he came 
to perform, and to whom he should return. They were 
spoken in a prayer addressed to the Father in behalf 
of his disciples, from whom, to appearance, he was 
soon to be separated. As his disciples represented his 
Church in the world, or all who freely receive, acknow- 
ledge and obey his words ; what the Lord, when in 






SERMONS. 169 

the world, addressed to them, or asked for them, is to 
be understood as addressed to, and desired for his Church 
universal, which the twelve disciples were chosen to 
represent. Hence, as these words were spoken on the 
principle of accommodation to human weakness, the 
spiritual sense which they contain is obviously the ex- 
pression of a strong desire, that the disciples of the 
Lord, and all who shall believe on him through their 
word, that is, his Church in the world, should be con- 
joined to him, as he is united to the Father — that the 
Love and the Wisdom which were communicated to, 
and received by, the humanity, might be received and 
appropriated by the disciples and the church — that 
through the humanity, which was assumed as a medium 
of communication, love and wisdom might descend 
and be in his disciples and in his church; and thus 
through him, as a medium, that a union might be effected 
between the Father, or Divine Love, and the church on 
earth. And as the humanity which he assumed was 
then being glorified, or united to the Divinity, so he 
prays that his disciples and his church may be conjoined 
to him — that his spirit and his wisdom might be in them, 
as the spirit and wisdom of the Father was in him. 
And thus that the Divine Love, from which the hu- 
manity was assumed as a medium of communication 
to men, might become all and in all : " / in them and 
thou in me, that they may be made pe?]fect in one ; 
and that the world may knoiv that thou hast sent me, 
and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." 

The Greek word, which is translated Church, lite- 
rally signifies an assembly or congregation. But as 
the word has been used in a great variety of relations, 

15 



170 SERMONS. 

its signification in any particular instance can be known 
only from the connexion in which it is used. The origi- 
nal word was applied indiscriminately to any collection 
of men, who assembled together from a common inte- 
rest felt in any particular subject — the interest felt in 
the subject, being that which united and brought them 
together. It was in this sense that the word church 
was used to signify those Christians who met together 
in the times of the Apostles, from a common interest in 
the doctrines taught by the Apostles, which they had 
received from the Lord. Each assembly that was ac- 
customed to meet together, was called a church. The 
word was not used then as it is now, to signify a par- 
ticular part of the assembly, but all who were accus- 
tomed to meet together for worship and instruction. 

And notwithstanding the numerous sects and here- 
sies which afterwards arose among Christians, or among 
those who had some degree of interest in the subject, 
the term church, in its most enlarged sense, was used 
to signify all, in all parts of the world, who professed 
to acknowledge the Lord as a Divine Teacher, and to 
believe in the religion which he taught, however per- 
verted or absurd this religion may have been made, by 
the false doctrines through which it was seen. 

In a sense less general, the word church has been 
used to signify each of the various sects, into which the 
universal Christian Church has become divided, being 
used, in connexion with some qualifying word, to sig- 
nify those only who have a common belief and interest 
in a particular system of doctrines. In this sense, the 
word church is applied to a great variety of sects, in 
the general church ; as to the Catholic, the Greek, and 



SERMONS. 171 

the various denominations in the Protestant Church. 
Being equally applied to all who are spiritually united 
in the belief of the same system of doctrines of faith 
and practice, however widely they may be separated 
by distance from each other. 

Another common use of the word church, is; to sig- 
nify a part of a congregation who meet for religious 
worship, to signify those only who have made a public 
profession of their faith in a particular system of doc- 
trines, and have entered into a covenant to live together 
as a particular society. 

Thus the use of the word church is very extensive, 
and the particular signification to be attached to the 
word in any instance, is to be learned only by the con- 
nexion in which it is used. 

By the doctrines revealed for the New Jerusalem 
Church, we are taught what constitutes a true spiritual 
church — in what the reality of a true spiritual church 
consists ; and we are thus enabled to see what would 
be an orderly external manifestation of this reality in 
the world. By the doctrines in the New Church, the 
true character of the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed- — 
that he is essential Love and Wisdom subsisting in a 
human form ; and that from him, as the source, con- 
tinually proceeds all that constitutes his kingdom in 
heaven and his church upon earth. By the doctrines 
revealed for this church, we also learn the nature, the 
employments, the happiness and the principles of asso- 
ciation of the angels in heaven. That the angels of 
heaven were all once men in the natural world, created 
to be free recipients of the love and wisdom of the 
Lord, which they receive, and appropriate and mani- 



172 SERMONS. 

fest in their lives ; that the employments and the hap- 
piness of the angels consist in freely performing the 
uses, and in discharging the duties, which the Lord 
provides for each one ; in freely developing that pecu- 
liar love of use which the Lord inspires. That the angels 
unite together and associate, and that the grounds of 
their associations are similarity of states and genius, 
freely and fully developed and exercised ; and mutual 
adaptation to promote reciprocal happiness. 

Again, we are taught by the doctrines of the New 
Church, that the earth was created to be, and is still 
preserved to be a seminary for heaven— to serve as a 
school in which to discipline and prepare men for the 
order, the employments, and the happiness of the angels 
in heaven. And in all the ways and by all the means 
consistent with human freedom, the Lord is always en- 
deavouring to bring men into this order, while they re- 
main in this world — to bring them into a state in which, 
like the angels in heaven, they will freely receive, ap- 
propriate, and acknowledge, the love and the wisdom 
which he imparts, and manifest it in their lives — to 
bring them into a state in which the kingdom of the 
Lord comes, and his will is done on earth as it is done 
in the heavens — a state in which the order and the hap- 
piness of heaven descend into ultimate form upon earth. 
And all men, who sincerely desire this blessed consum- 
mation, and who are freely co-operating with the Lord 
to produce it, both in themselves and in others, consti- 
tute his church upon the earth ; for, however widely 
they may be separated by distance from each other, 
they are all spiritually united ; they have all the same 
end in view ; they are all endeavouring to put away 



SERMONS. 173 

evil in themselves and in others ; to remove all that op- 
poses the influx of love and wisdom from the Lord — the 
descent of the true order and happiness of heaven to 
earth — all that opposes the establishment and the ex- 
ternal manifestation of the Lord's kingdom in the world. 

Such is the true meaning of a spiritual church — 
embracing all who are spiritually united in opposing and 
in putting away all evils in themselves and in others, 
and in establishing the kingdom of the Lord. 

When men pass from the natural world into the spi- 
ritual world at death, we are taught, by the doctrines 
revealed for this church, that the Lord does not, in an 
arbitrary manner, assign to any one his place or state of 
abode. He withholds none from heaven — he sentences 
none to hell — but he permits each one to go where he 
desires to go — to heaven, if he desires it, and is pre- 
pared to enjoy heaven. And the angels of heaven de- 
sire the accession of all who can unite with them and 
be happy in their society. Therefore each one, at his 
entrance into the other life, is allowed to act in perfect 
freedom — to go where he will be most happy — and, 
that he may at length come into association with those 
of a similar state to his own, and be happy in connexion 
with them, he is introduced into one society after another, 
till he at length comes into one in which he feels in the 
sphere of his own life, and in entire freedom. Here he 
is allowed, but not compelled, to remain for ever. And 
he at length finds such a station, or use in that society, 
that the peculiar form of his love and wisdom becomes 
fully and freely exercised— and all the affections of his 
heart, and all the faculties of his understanding, become 
warmed into existence, and manifested in the various 

15* 



174 SERMONS. 

uses which the happiness of others requires him to per- 
form. If one is not regenerated, and cannot become a 
fit subject for heaven, he is not withheld, in an arbitrary 
manner, from going to heaven, or from associating with 
those in whose society he thinks he should be most 
happy, but he also is allowed to act freely ; yet, while 
preserved in a state of freedom, he voluntarily goes to 
his own place, and at length finds his own sphere of life. 
And though self-love is the spring of his actions, the 
moving principle of his life, yet the mercy of the Lord 
follows him, while led by that, even in his departure 
and descent into hell ; and by a merciful providence he 
is led to associate with those whose states of life are 
similar to his own, where he suffers as little misery as 
it is possible for him to suffer in that state of affections 
which constitutes his life. 

Thus, while men, at their entrance in the other life, 
are preserved in a state of perfect freedom, and each 
one is allowed to follow his own inclination, the infinite 
diversity in their states of affection, disposition and 
genius, gives a corresponding diversity to the character 
of all the societies in the spiritual world, of which hea- 
ven and hell consist, and to the stations, the employ- 
ments, and the delights of all the individuals of each 
society. Each individual angel, we are taught, is a 
peculiar form of love and wisdom, and no two angels 
are perfectly similar; but the modifications or forms of 
love and wisdom are of infinite variety ; and this variety, 
instead of producing discord and confusion, is the ground 
of mutual adaptation, of order and unity in heaven. 
For those whose ruling affections are similar, or those 
who have a general similarity of state and genius, while 



SERMONS. 175 

they are led in freedom by the Lord, are brought together, 
and associate ; and though they all have a general 
similarity of state, yet the peculiar and individual forms 
of each one's love of use are such, that they are all 
mutually adapted to each other ; and each one is in the 
delight of his life, when he is exercising his peculiar 
love of use for the good and the happiness of those 
with whom he is connected. Thus, while kept in a 
state to be led freely by the Lord, the individual angels 
who compose a society in the^heavens become ultimately 
organized, mutually fitted and adapted to each other, 
like the members which compose the human body, 
and each one is the most happy himself, and the most 
useful to others, when in perfect freedom he is allowed 
to develope and exercise his own peculiar love of use. 
Thus unity, order, and harmony are given to the whole, 
and mutual adaptation becomes the ground of reciprocal 
happiness. 

Such, we are taught by the doctrines of the New 
Church, is the condition of men at their entrance into 
the spiritual world — the freedom in which they are 
allowed to develope and exercise their own individual 
character — and the spirit and principles of their asso- 
ciation in society — and the grounds of their happiness. 

And by the doctrines of the New Church we are 
taught not only the state of heaven, in what its em- 
ployments and delights consist, but we are also taught 
what preparation is necessary for the enjoyments of 
heaven. We are enabled to see the depravity and the 
disorder of men in this world, — the wickedness, the 
ignorance, and the disorder of that state, from which 
the Lord is endeavouring to deliver and save them. 



176 SERMONS 

This we are, in some degree, enabled to see by the 
doctrines revealed for the Church, and (before we can 
make any considerable advancement in a state of pre- 
paration) we must learn it by experience — learn and 
realize that a great work is to be done in ourselves. 
The order of our minds must be inverted; that which 
is first must be last, and the last first. For we cannot 
be prepared for the kingdom of the Lord and the order 
of heavenly life, till the love of self and the world is 
checked and subdued ; and this will not be effectually 
done till we are placed in circumstances in which it 
will be manifested, brought out in the ten thousand 
forms in which it will appear, so that we can see it, be 
sensible of it, in the external acts to which it prompts, 
and be humbled into repentance. And before we can 
freely come into the order of heaven, we shall be led, by 
the providence of the Lord, into circumstances adapted 
to efFect this within us ; till all that exalts itself is abased 
— till all that opposes the influx of love and wisdom 
from the Lord is removed, and we are willing to be the 
free recipients of that which he imparts, and allow it 
to descend and become manifest in our lives. It was 
to redeem us from this state of sin and disorder that the 
Word, or Divine Truth, became manifest as the incar- 
nate Jehovah. It was for this end that the Word was 
inspired and written in language, brought down and 
adapted to our state. It was for this end that all the 
rites of religious worship were established, and all 
means of instruction provided. It is for this end that 
the Lord is always imparting the influences of his spi- 
rit to the mind. These all are but means to this end — 
to enable us to put away all forms of self-love which 



SERMONS. 177 

resist the influx of Divine Love and Wisdom — and to 
bring us into a state in which we become true mediums 
of the Lord, and prepared for the society and the enjoy- 
ments of heaven. 

The experience and the observation of each indi- 
vidual abundantly confirm the truth, that man was made 
for society — that each individual is the form of affec- 
tions, and powers, and faculties, the exercise of which 
constitute his life and happiness. But these affections, 
powers, and faculties cannot be called into exercise, 
except when he is brought into association with others, 
and has uses to perform in society. If, therefore, he 
attempts to withhold himself from association and live 
by himself, and alone, his affections become cold and 
contracted — his powers and faculties dull and torpid, 
and his life useless. Indeed, the very effort to stand 
aloof from all association, and live and act for self 
alone, is attended with a perception that we are resist- 
ing the dictates of reason and of conscience, and the 
influx of the order of heavenly life. Without reason- 
ing upon the subject, all men cannot but perceive that 
it is the essential nature of mutual love to unite and 
bring men together into society ; that when the true 
spirit of love dwells, in men, they cannot but unite and 
associate — for they are drawn together, not by external 
constraint, but from internal impulse — from the desire 
to be mutually useful, one to another, and to impart 
and receive reciprocal happiness. And where this spi- 
rit of the Lord is the only bond that unites the soul that 
pervades and governs any association, the members of 
which it is composed cannot but realize the truth of 
these words; " I in them, and thou in me, that they 



178 SERMONS. 

may be made perfect in one." Such, indeed, is the 
adaptation of men to society, and so strong the princi- 
ples of association, that they cannot be resisted without 
the extinction of life itself. But while they are under 
the influence of self-love alone, and without any ac- 
knowledgment of the Lord, from various external, but 
merely selfish motives, they are led to associate. The 
love of honour, the love of wealth, the love of pleasure 
prompt to form associations for mutual co-operation and 
assistance, in obtaining the objects desired. Each indi- 
vidual is better adapted to one employment or profes- 
sion than another ; and in following, as it is said, the 
bent of his genius, he is led into connexion with socie- 
ty ; and the uses which, from mere selfish motives, he 
renders to others, become the cords which mutually 
bind him and society together. It is also from perceiv- 
ing and acknowledging, in some degree, the true prin- 
ciple of association, and of mutual adaptation, that men 
are led to form, and to continue all the various con- 
nexions and affinities of life. Upon the same principles, 
and from no higher motive than self-interest and worldly 
policy, they may unite and form religious associations 
to support public worship and the external forms of 
religion, make a public profession of their faith in doc- 
trines, and love for the church, and come into the forms 
of external order. But though there may be much ex- 
ternal show of religion, much that may meet the eye 
and the ear, and be imposing in its external appear- 
ance, yet such grounds and motives of association can 
never assume an ultimate form which is not powerless, 
cold, and dead. 

As among angels and spirits in the spiritual world, 



SERMONS. 179 

so among men in the natural world, there is diversity of 
character and genius; and if all men were regenerated 
in this world, and in a state to be led by the Lord, those 
of a similar character and genius, who are mutually 
adapted to each other, would associate together and 
unite ; and a society in this world would in time re- 
semble a society of angels in the heavens. The parti- 
cular form of each one's love and wisdom would be- 
come ultimated in that particular use or employment 
ill which he is most happy. And in this general simi- 
larity, the specific varieties would give order and ar- 
rangement and mutual adaptation to the society. Such, 
were men prepared for it, would be the order of hea- 
venly life in this world. But, before men can be brought 
into this order, a great work is to be done in each indi- 
vidual. The love of self and of the world, which con- 
stitutes the life of the natural man, must be put off, and 
each one must be brought into a state in which the 
Lord can reign within him, to will and to do his own 
good pleasure. For it is only in the degree that men 
are regenerated, and thus prepared for the order of 
heavenly life, that they can freely unite and enjoy it. 
But as the work of regeneration is a gradual work, and 
it is only by degrees that the opposing principle of self- 
love is destroyed, so it is only by degrees that men can 
unite and freely come into the true order of life. 

But, if men, as individuals, are not prepared to unite 
in society with that degree of self-renunciation, which 
admits of a perfect state of order, they should, never- 
theless, endeavour to know their own states, that they 
may see for what degree of order they are prepared, 
and what they can freely enjoy. Those who have 



180 SERMONS. 

made the greatest attainments, in the knowledge and 
life of the doctrines of the New Church, are in but a 
partial state of preparation for the order of the life of 
heaven. Their love of self and of the world, although 
checked, is not entirely overcome and subdued ; they 
are not yet in that state of resignation, to freely become 
mediums of good only one to another ; of course, there 
must and there will be a corresponding degree of dis- 
order and of distance among those who attempt to asso- 
ciate. And should they attempt to unite, and become 
fully and at once into the order of heavenly life, before 
there is a correspondent state of preparation for this 
degree of union, the want of preparation would inevit- 
ably become manifest in dissentions and disorder. As 
it is only on the ground of love to the Lord — of self- 
renunciation, and a desire to become mutually mediums 
of use one to another, that they profess to unite and 
co-operate, — so, by all that remains of self-love, which 
is in direct opposition to the grounds upon which they 
unite, their union and co-operation must be resisted. 
The degree of external order, which they can freely 
enjoy, will depend upon the state of internal union 
among those who unite — upon their states of individual 
preparation. Those in whom the work of regeneration 
is only begun, who have made but little advances in 
subduing the dominion of self, can unite and co-operate 
only in a corresponding and limited degree, for their 
attempts to unite and to live in a higher state of order 
than they are prepared to enjoy freely, would result in 
disgust and separation ; — while those who have made 
the greatest attainments in spiritual life, in whom the 
love of self is most effectually subdued, will be pre- 



SERMONS. 1 81 

pared to enjoy a higher degree of spiritual union and 
external order. And those in this state will become 
more closely united, and form the centre of the associa- 
tion ; and they will be freely acknowledged as such, 
by all in whom the spirit of the Church exists. For 
all who have made any considerable advances in the 
Church, and who are governed at all by its spirit, will 
be able to perceive, and will freely acknowledge the 
states of those in whom a superior degree of love and 
wisdom is manifested. But it is not because those, 
who have made the greatest advances in a regenerate 
life, in whom the Lord most effectually reigns, will 
claim, or wish for power and influence over others, or 
the acknowledgment of their own superiority, that they 
will be thus acknowledged, and have authority freely 
conceded to them. On the contrary, it is because the 
love and the desire of this authority and acknowledg- 
ment is overcome and subdued in them ; it is because 
they have, in a superior degree to others, attained the 
state and the spirit from which the Lord acts; "who 
came not to be ministered u?ito, but to minister." 
And he only can be freely acknowledged as great among 
his disciples, who has put off, in a superior degree to 
others, the love of power for its own sake, and is will- 
ing to be the least of all and the servant of all. 

Such is the spirit, and such the principles upon which 
a truly spiritual union can be effected, and externally 
manifested by those who wish to come into the order, 
and act upon the principles of the Church. 

Each society, in the present world, must be composed 
of individuals in whom the work of regeneration is only 
partially effected ; who are advancing in spiritual life, 

16 



182 SERMONS. 

but who are not yet in a state of preparation for a per- 
fect, orderly life. The state of each society therefore 
will depend upon the states of the members who com- 
pose it. If all were to come together from a state of 
full preparation, they will of course be united, and or- 
der and harmony would exist among them. If they 
attempt to unite only so far as they are, as individuals, 
in a state of preparation to unite in. the spirit of charity, 
there will arise no strifes or dissensions. But if they 
attempt to become more closely united, and to live in 
a more perfect state of external order than they are in- 
dividually prepared to enjoy, the remains of self will 
become manifest in alienations, provocations, and re- 
sentments. A Church can enjoy peace and harmony, 
and act together externally, only so far as they are spi- 
ritually united — only so far as the love of self is sub- 
dued in its members — only so far as the same spirit of 
love and wisdom from the Lord reigns in them, and 
becomes the bond of their union— the soul of the body, 
which pervades, actuates and gives it life. 

Each society of the New Church, it was said, in 
this world will be composed of individuals who are only 
in a state of partial regeneration, and only partially 
prepared for a life of true order in the Church. They 
unite from a common faith and interest in the doctrines 
revealed to the Church — and to become mutually helpers 
one to another, in putting away evil; and in assisting 
each other to come into a more perfect- state of the know- 
ledge and the life of the Church, And while there is 
but such a partial state of preparation in the members 
of a Church — while there are such remains of evil con- 
nected with the good, a state of perfect harmony and 



SERMONS. 183 

union is not to be expected. It is not to be expected, 
in the present disordered state of the world, that each 
one will be fully prepared to unite with the Church, to 
the degree that he may be induced to become exter- 
nally connected with it, and that all that is done towards 
coming into order externally r , will be done from a state 
of internal preparation — or that discords will never 
interrupt the harmony of society, — and that no offences 
will come. It is not for us to expect that there will 
never be occasions to exercise a spirit of forbearance, 
and of charity one towards another. But, still, we 
ought to keep steadily in mind the grounds on which 
we unite — that it is to put away all evil in ourselves 
and in others, and to come into a more perfect state of 
order in life — and that we cannot forgive or justify 
evil in ourselves or in others until it is repented of 
and forsaken ; — for that gross charity (or indifference) 
of the world, which without discrimination covers a 
multitude of sins, which requires us to think well, and 
to speak well of all men, as members of the Church we 
cannot exercise. When evil exists in ourselves, we 
should endeavour to see it, be willing to have it exposed, 
that we may be sensible of it and put it away. When 
evil is seen to exist in another, not a sense of our own 
superiority, or the love of authority, but the purest 
charity, should prompt us " to go and tell him his 
fault between" us " and him alone" and to use every 
method that a well-directed charity towards him can 
devise to render him sensible of it, that he may endea- 
vour to forsake it. We must learn to receive and to 
use plain dealing in the spirit of love and charity, and 
to regard him as the truest friend, whose sincere love 



184 SERMONS. 

of goodness and truth does not suffer him to palliate or 
excuse an evil or a falsehood in himself or in another, 
until it is repented of, and a disposition shown to for- 
sake it ; but whose candour and fidelity suffer him to 
bear exposure and reproof, and prompt him to give 
them to another. 

The New Jerusalem Church is yet in the state of 
infancy in the world. Its members are making inci- 
pient efforts to co-operate and come into order ; but the 
Church is yet prepared for spiritual union and exter- 
nal order from a spiritual state of preparation only in a 
very limited degree. And their caution can scarcely 
be too great, that all that is done should be done from 
a stafe of preparation, should be only a free manifesta- 
tion of their spiritual state. 

By personal influence and authority, and by connect- 
ing merely selfish and worldly motives with religion, 
it is not difficult to assemble and unite a congregation 
of men to support the institutions of religion in any of 
the forms which Christianity is made to assume. But 
in the New Church, external co-operation and order 
should never be attempted except from an internal 
union and a sincere love of the Church for its own sake. 
And if union and co-operation be attempted on other 
grounds than this, it will be profaning the name of our 
God, and doing a work for repentance. 

Though "the gates of the New Jerusalem shall not 
be shut at all by day," yet internally there will in no 
wise enter into it any thing that defileth, or worketh 
abomination, or maketh a lie ; but those only whose 
names are written in the Lamb's book of life. So it 
should be externally ; the external form and order of 



SERMONS. 185 

the Church, as manifested to the ;world, should be only 
a free and full expression of its internal state. And 
the sphere of the Church should always be such as to 
repel the approach of those who are drawn to it by 
unhallowed motives — of all who are not willing to enter 
in through the gates into the city — or by a sincere ac- 
knowledgment of the Lord, and by doing his command- 
ments. For of such only can a society of the New Je- 
rusalem be composed. And we can enjoy order, har- 
mony, and peace, in the Church, only so far as the 
members who compose it, come together and unite in 
this spirit and act upon the principles of the Church. 
And if self-love rules in any of the members, who may 
have united in the external order of the Church, the 
spirit and the sphere of the Church should be such as 
to rebuke, and to operate upon them with healing and 
purifying influences; but if the reproof of charity is 
met by resentment, and a disposition is shown to justify 
such a spirit, and to persevere in it in spite of all efforts 
to reclaim, the spirit and the sphere of the Church 
should be such as to render the association of the indi- 
vidual insupportable to himself, so that he will freely 
go out from the Church, because he is not of it. 

It is indeed a serious subject to unite and to live in 
the true order of the Church ; and we ought to under- 
stand well the proper grounds of union, and how far 
we are individually prepared to unite, that so far as we 
are prepared, we may come into external order, and 
make a free expression of our state, without danger of 
consequent disorder and difficulty. But perhaps we 
have more occasion to remark, that we should also be- 
ware, lest our caution, or the fear of acting without a 

16* 



186 SERMONS. 

proper degree of preparation, be so great, as to deter 
us from making a free and full expression of our real 
state, and to the degree that we may be prepared, of 
professing it externally, and of coming into the order 
and partaking of the privileges of the Church. 

Though it is a great and a serious subject, for men 
to unite and to attempt to live in the true order of the 
Church, yet to the- degree that each one is prepared for 
such a union, he will be led to express it, not so much 
from a sense of duty, or as a binding obligation, as he 
will be prompted from an internal impulse of affection 
and love. It will then be only the external manifesta- 
tion of his internal state of affections — the delight of 
his interna] life. 

Simply expressed, he believes in, and loves the Lord 
— his Word — and wishes to conform to all his require- 
ments ; and he desires to say so plainly to the world. 
Living in a world of darkness and sin, he believes, that 
to all who come to him in the way of his appointment, 
the "Light himself doth shine revealed" — and he de- 
sires to acknowledge this belief explicitly, in word, ac- 
tion, and life, that men, by seeing his good works — the 
happy consequences of his faith, may be led to the same 
source, to glorify his Father in the heavens. He loves 
all in whom he sees the same spirit manifested — he 
feels united to them by the cords of affection, and he 
desires to associate with them, because it is the delight 
of his life, that they maybe better mediums of use one 
to another. 

To the degree that this spirit exists in any individual, 
there is a state of internal preparation for union with 
the Church. For the individual will not be drawn to 



SERMONS. 187 

the Church by a sense of duty — or held in connexion 
with it by external constraints — but by the bonds of 
affection and love. 

But of his own individual state of preparation, each 
one, after knowing well the principles on which he must 
act, should be allowed to judge, in the most perfect 
freedom, unbiased, uninfluenced, by another. It is 
of such members, and of such only, who thus freely 
associate upon these principles, that a society of the 
New Church can be composed ; for such only can be- 
come members mutually fitted, and adapted to each 
other, and form that body of perfect order and symme- 
try, of which the spirit of the Lord is the soul, that 
unites, quickens, pervades, and holds together. 

In the present selfish, gross, and disordered state of 
the mind, we can realize only in a very limited degree 
the order and the happy consequences, which must fol- 
low that entirely renovated state of society in the world, 
for which we can look with confidence and hope, in 
the descent of the New Jerusalem, when the kingdom 
of God shall have become established upon the earth. 
But we know, that if men were in the same state of 
preparation for union and co-operation in society as 
the angels are in heaven, the order, the employments, 
and the happiness of heaven would be brought out into 
ultimate form on earth. The same spirit of self-renun- 
ciation, the same willingness to be what we are, or were 
designed to be, the same desire to be mediums of use 
one to another, would give to a society on eai;th the re- 
semblance of a society in heaven. Each one would 
live in sincere acknowledgment of the Lord in all things; 
and as the highest happiness of each one would consist 



188 SERMONS. 

itj doing good to others, no selfish interests or rival dis- 
tinctions could disturb the order and harmony of society ; 
each one, sensible of what he was designed to be, could 
be content and happy in exercising that peculiar love 
of use, which the Lord inspires, in the sphere of life 
to which, while left in perfect freedom, he is led from 
choice — filling his station, be it high or low, without 
feelings of pride or abasement. And since such is the 
state, or the standard, which we should be continually 
aspiring to attain — the end which we should always 
keep in view — we are never to rest satisfied with pre- 
sent attainments, or faint and be discouraged by the 
obstacles in our way. And though our best concep- 
tions of the future must, in our present state, necessa- 
rily be imperfect, yet it must serve to animate and 
quicken each one in his onward course, to often con- 
template that the time is advancing when the kingdom 
of God shall come, and his will be done on earth, as it 
is in heaven. 

Then may we expect, that so far as individuals unite 
in society, they will be drawn together in freedom, from 
love one to another, and that in the true spirit of charity 
towards others, each one will be perfectly free in the 
development and the exercise of his own individuality, 
but as free and as happy in allowing the same privilege 
to others. To the degree that this shall take place, 
the powers and faculties of every mind, must be freely 
and fully developed "in their orderly use and exercise, 
and the external consequences be manifested and real- 
ized ; for the influence of the sphere of such a society 
must be felt by all its members, must pervade, awaken, 
animate, and give a right direction to the latent and 
dormant energies of their minds. 



SERMONS. 189 

Then may we expect that the institutions of religious 
worship and instruction will be regarded in their true 
light, not as ends but as means to ends, that all men 
in the spirit of love, may have a more perfect develop- 
ment and exercise of their own peculiar selves, in the 
form of use to others. And, though every exercise of 
worship, and every means of knowledge should be 
purified and rendered the most perfect, though when 
all unite in the temple of the Lord, and as they bow in 
worship, the fire of devotion should be kindled in every 
heart, and the offering of praise ascend from every 
tongue, and though like the showers and the dews that 
water the earth, spiritual truth should be accommodated 
to the state of every mind, yet the end regarded, will 
be not merely present enjoyment, and the happiness 
felt in the exercise of devotion; but the abiding influ- 
ence that is felt by all, in causing an increased degree 
of love and of wisdom to be received by each one, and 
manifested in life — in causing a more perfect spirit of 
order to pervade all the various uses and employments 
of society, giving a greater degree of perfection not only 
to all the employments and the serious business of life, 
but in inspiring the same propelling and onward spirit 
of improvement, into all our civil, social, and domestic 
relations and habits of intercourse, as well as purifying, 
refining and giving new life to all our recreations, 
amusements, and delights. 

When the doctrines revealed respecting the nature 
and capacities of the human mind, and the true order 
of unfolding its powers, become understood and practi- 
cally applied, how different too must be the mode of 
education, and how different the progress of youth in 



190 SERMONS. 

knowledge. Susceptibility to temptation is essential to 
the nature of moral freedom, and man may never com- 
mence his existence in the world, without hereditary 
propensities to evil. The education of the child should, 
therefore, always begin with the moral culture of the 
affections of the heart, checking and exterminating self- 
love in all forms of its appearance, and implanting the 
remains of goodness and of truth, while the mind is 
open and tender to receive whatever impress is made 
upon it. When education shall commence and be con- 
ducted upon this principle in the church, all those false 
and coercive motives to advance the child in knowledge 
above the state of his affections, which, in the existing 
state of society, are deemed necessary, will have passed 
away, and the office of the instructer will be to observe 
well the peculiar genius and disposition of each indi- 
vidual, and to adapt and impart a knowledge of truth 
to the understanding, as fast as the affections are open 
and prepared to receive it. And the affections of the 
child, when thus directed, will be continually prompt- 
ing him to exertion — they will be in continual effort to 
be conjoined to a corresponding degree of truth— which 
is the only form or mode in which they can be truly 
manifested. When thus directed, the mind of the child 
will stand, in relation to all objects by which it is sur- 
rounded, like a plant in a well-watered garden, under 
the eye of the cultivator ; and to the degree of its ex- 
pansion and enlargement, no definite limits can be pre- 
scribed — for the natural world, that embodies forth the 
love and wisdom of its Infinite Creator, will ever afford 
it fresh aliment for growth and enlargement. While 
the influences from the sphere of society which surround 



SEKMONS. 191 

it, and the light and the life of the Lord through his 
Word, will operate as an atmosphere and a sun, con- 
tinually to quicken and call forth its powers. 

The natural world, and all things in the natural 
world, we are taught, correspond to the state of the 
spiritual world, are but manifested effects of spiritual 
causes, or states in man. Therefore, as the state of man 
changes, the external form of the natural world will 
undergo a corresponding change in appearance. It will 
be literally true that " the wilderness and the solitary 
place shall be glad" that " the desert shall rejoice 
and blossom as the rose ;" "for in the wilderness shall 
waters break out, and streams in the desert." That 
the vegetable and the animal world will be renovated, 
to a degree corresponding to the internal change, the 
moral renovation that takes place in the mind — the 
poisonous plant, the savage beast, and noxious serpent, 
will die, and there will remain none to hurt, or destroy. 

These perspectives of the future state of the Church 
are not dreams of the imagination. Impressed with a 
sense of the propelling and onward spirit of his religion, 
and encouraged by the prophetic language of Scrip- 
ture, the sincere and spiritual believer in Christianity 
has in all past ages of the Church been looking forward, 
through present surrounding darkness and confusion, to 
a future time, when the reign of truth should be esta- 
blished upon the ruins of error, and when the true spirit 
of benevolence should again dwell upon, and beautify 
the earth. But that long expected day, foretold by 
prophets and by poets sung, it is ours to hail. Its dawn- 
ing light already paints the east, and the nameless in- 
fluences of its approach are seen and felt. " Blessed 



192 SERMONS. 

are our ears for what they hear" and " Blessed are 
our eyes for what they behold" For, to a receiver 
of the doctrines of the New Church, the remarkable 
features of the present age, the great and rapid changes 
and revolutions that have taken and are still taking 
place in the world, that freedom of thought and free- 
dom of action, which is sending such penetrating 
glances into principles of government, and the perverted 
doctrines and forms of the Christian religion, causing 
such overturnings, and demanding reform, are only- 
signs of the times, only the external indication of the 
coming of the Son of Man — only the manifested effects 
of spiritual causes revealed to the Church. Changes 
and revolution must go on, till He shall come, whose 
right it is to reign, and his kingdom is established — till 
the spiritual causes, revealed to the mind, that are now 
in operation, now in effort to produce, shall have brought 
forth into external existence, and manifestation, that 
state of order and perfection upon earth, when it can be 
indeed said, " the tabernacle of God is with men, and 
he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, 
and God himself shall be with them, their God" 



THE END. 



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